


With The Dawn

by horngeek



Series: The Sword of Amaterasu [1]
Category: Exalted (Roleplaying Game), Legend of the Five Rings
Genre: F/F, Role-Playing Game, Roleplay Logs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-07-03 18:01:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 62,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15824085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horngeek/pseuds/horngeek
Summary: After a few comments that some of the proper nouns from the L5R side of this crossover are unclear, I decided to add this chapter for the benefit of Exalted fans- it contains a description of Rokugan, the major Clans, and where they are.  Mostly provided from the Clans' own perspectives- feel free to speculate on what some of these terms translate to in Exalted terms.(I don't know all of them myself)Also a map, although a small one on the chapter itself.  You're welcome.  :P





	1. Introduction - The Lay of Rokugan

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Tales of Keris Dulmeadokht](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13573851) by [Aleph (Immatrael)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Immatrael/pseuds/Aleph), [EarthScorpion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EarthScorpion/pseuds/EarthScorpion). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a few comments that some of the proper nouns from the L5R side of this crossover are unclear, I decided to add this chapter for the benefit of Exalted fans- it contains a description of Rokugan, the major Clans, and where they are. Mostly provided from the Clans' own perspectives- feel free to speculate on what some of these terms translate to in Exalted terms. 
> 
> (I don't know all of them myself)
> 
> Also a map, although a small one on the chapter itself. You're welcome. :P

(Image from L5R 4th edition, Atlas of Rokugan.  Hosted from the [L5R wiki](http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/File:Rokugan_Atlas.jpg)\- go there for a better image)

 

This is the Lay of Rokugan, and the Great Clans that inhabit it.  Isolated from the outside world for a thousand years, Rokugan has been comfortable in its isolation, for the outside world is threatening and dangerous.  They are largely unaware of events going on beyond their borders.  Each Clan contains a number of Families- a misleading term in truth, for each contains hundreds or perhaps even thousands of Samurai who may be distantly related at most, but all bear the names of their Family's founder.

 

To the south, the  **Crab Clan**  are the Wall, standing against the Shadowlands to the south- where the Ninth Kami, Fu Leng, fell to Rokugan and punched through into Jigoku, as the Rokugani tell with hushed whispers.  Manning the Great Carpenter Wall, the  **Hida** family continues the watch of their divine founder against that which lies beyond the wall, constantly fighting a battle the rest of Rokugan prefers to ignore.  The  **Himura** act as scouts, looking for any hordes that come towards the Wall- and seek the return of their own lands, lost centuries ago to the forces of evil.  The  **Kaiu** build fortifications and forge the heavy armour for which the Crab are so renowned, the  **Yasuki** use their merchantile skills- often disdained by proper samurai- to supply their Clan, and finally, the  **Kuni** research the foe they face, wielding magic and knowledge against their daily foe.

 

To their north lies the  **Scorpion Clan**.  At the dawn of the empire, the Kami  **Bayushi** told his brother that he will be the Empire's villain, and the family bearing his name leads the Clan of Secrets- master manipulators of the court and warriors more than willing to perform all sorts of dirty tricks in battle.  The  **Shosuro**  act from the shadows, their skills at acting the face they show to Rokugan- and in the dark, they perform other tasks.  The  **Shoshi** are masters of illusion magic, using their skills to aid the other families of their Clan in their dark roles.  And finally, the  **Yogo** , a family cursed- to the last man, woman and child- to one day betray the thing they love most- holding allegiance to the Scorpion in the belief that they will never love the Clan that performs all sorts of dishonourable deeds, doing what the other families cannot or will not.  

 

Across the mountains from the Scorpion, further north still, lies the lands of the  **Lion Clan** , the Right Hand of the Emperor.  The largest military in Rokugan is theirs, lead by the family of the Kami  **Akodo** , the greatest strategists and tacticians in Rokugan.  Under them serve the  **Matsu** \- the largest Family in the Empire, they man the legions of the Lion Clan, and their fiery temperament and iron will is inherited from their founder, a woman who refused to marry a god for she was determined to carve her  _own_ name into history.  The  **Ikoma** tell stories of glorious battles past, bards whose skill is known across the Empire as able to move even the most controlled of samurai to tears- and finally, the  **Kitsu** , the most conservative family of Shugenja in the Empire.  Descended from unions of men and strange beings from which they draw their name, the Kitsu have the ability to talk to spirits of ancestors long past- for the Lion are  _obsessed_ with honour and how it reflects on one's family line.

 

To their west are the  **Unicorn Clan**.  While most of Rokugan is insular, the Unicorn spent long centuries journeying across the continent on which Rokugan sits, following their leader  **Shinjo** and the family that bears her name.  When they returned, they brought new followers, the  **Moto** \- desert nomads who swore fealty to the Kami when she crossed their lands.  Also part of the Unicorn are the  **Utaku** , fierce battle-maidens who are the finest cavalry force in the Empire and as honourable as any Lion, and the  **Ichui** , who wield magic that the rest of Rokugan finds strange at best.  Finally, the  **Ide** try to make peace with the other Clans- but their tireless work is difficult, for many do not entirely accept the strange twists the Unicorn put on Rokugani culture.  None can deny the strength of their armies, however, for none even approach the Unicorn either in the quality of their horses or the skill of the riders upon them.  

 

From the Unicorn, if one travels roughly northeast, one comes to the mountains of the  **Dragon Clan**.  Theoretically ruled by the  **Togashi Order of Monks** , founded by the Kami of the Dragon, the  **Mirumoto** family handles most of the actual day-to-day business of the Clan.  Their way of using both katana and wakizashi is strange to the rest of the Empire, a consistent theme for the Dragon as a whole.  The  **Agasha** family uses potions and alchemy to enhance their own spellcasting, while the  **Kitsuki** family are investigators and seekers of evidence in an Empire where evidence is treated as an afterthought and testimony is all that matters for most investigations.  The Clan holds themselves apart for the most part, watching Rokugan and interfering only occasionally and to no seeming purpose the rest of the Clans can tell.  The Clans, in turn, mostly let the Dragon remain in their mountains.  

 

Further East still, reaching the coast as one travels from Dragon lands, reside the  **Phoenix Clan**.  Famous pacifists in an Empire of warriors, the Phoenix are still not easily dismissed- for they have more shugenja than the other Clans combined, and their shugenja are most powerful in the ways of magic and the spirits.  Alone among the Clans, the family founded by the Kami  **Shiba** does not rule the Clan, but serves as guards and protectors to the other families- chief among them the  **Isawa** , the true rulers of the Clan and masters of all forms of magic- or so they claim.  Joining them are the  **Asako** , a reclusive family that leads a largely monastic life, without ambition but to live and learn.

 

Finally, south among the coast reside the  **Crane Clan**.  Masters of the court and the arts, they are lead by the  **Doji** , diplomats without peer in the manner of their founder.  Her husband,  **Kakita** , founded another family- one obsessed with art of all kinds, including that of swordplay.  The  **Asahina** , meanwhile, use their magic in the service of the Clan- but never to commit violence, instead devoting themselves to quiet philosophy and the arts.  And, finally, the  **Daidoji** protect their kin when other clans seek war against them- a thing which happens distressingly often, for Kakita and Matsu formed a blood feud that has lasted for the thousand-year history of the Empire.  Even when the Crane lose on the battlefield, however, Imperial favour and their mastery of politics often turns that loss into a victory- a fact that does not endear them to the Lion.  Truly loved by few, but friends to many, the Crane define Rokugani culture- and the subject of our tale is of their number.  

(Image by [Slayers148](https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/not-so-wide-slayers148s-illusta.13099/))

 

**Kakita Sakura** is a duelist and swordswoman without peer, her blindness seemingly not hindering her at all.  That skill, and her ability to read people by the subtle signs most do not even know are there, have brought her to the post of  **Emerald Magistrate** \- her duty to uphold the laws of the Imperial  **Hantei Dynasty** , founded by the last of the Eight Kami.  It is that duty that brings her to the start of our tale, chasing a sorcerer seeks dark power through blood sacrifice...


	2. With The Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a while back, Aleph (Immatrel) and EarthScorpion started posting a little thing called [Ascensions and Transgressions: The Tales of Keris Dulmeadokht](https://archiveofourown.org/series/936030). This was, frankly, a *lot* of fun to read. It's not what got me into Exalted, but it's been one of my favourite things to come out of the fandom. 
> 
> More recently, I've started playing a solo game of Exalted myself, GMed by Maugan Ra (not on AO3)- except this isn't just Exalted, but a fusion of the setting of Legend of the Five Rings, a samurai drama trading card game/roleplaying game and Exalted. My character is Kakita Sakura- I've been playing her in games GMed by the same GM before, and she's been able to develop a character of her own, but this is really the most developed story she's gotten so far- the other games have died for various reasons. She's an Emerald Magistrate of Rokugan, a member of the Crane Clan, and a skilled duelist and fighter.
> 
> She's also blind, which is a really cool part of the roleplaying experience in this game- Maugan has consistently given descriptions entirely as she experiences the world. And, frankly, this game have been terrific fun and I've been talking about the events within to a fair few of my friends online. So, inspired by Aleph's publishing of Kerisgame, and with a bit of editing to make it flow as a coherent story, I present to you... the tale of Kakita Sakura.
> 
>  
> 
> (horngeek) in dark blue  
> (Maugan Ra) in black

It is cold. The sun has not yet risen and winter, though officially passed by the reckoning of the sages, is not yet willing to relinquish the land. The air is a sharp, biting presence against Sakura’s bared skin, and she understands why the peasants here wrapped themselves up so tightly.

Her pony is a faithful beast; it needs no orders to trot along the narrow woodland path, following the course carved out by generations of _heimin_ labourers. The people here have worked these woods for centuries unchanged, and by their accounts she has perhaps a handful of minutes left before she reaches the river where they refresh themselves and sail their carefully felled logs back down towards the nearest town.

Her yoriki are elsewhere, following up on other leads that arose in the course of this investigation, and aside from indicating the path the peasantry were too afraid to accompany her. This at least is not surprising to Sakura - the cult already dragged off or murdered everyone who might have the will to resist them, and it took some doing to calm the remainder so she could find an actionable lead.

The _maho-tsukai_ Sakura tracks goes by the name 'Tsuba', and while she does not know precisely what his aims or motives are there is no denying the grisly trail of ritual sacrifices and other more mundane crimes he has left in his wake. He is known to travel with a retinue of at least a dozen, and in normal circumstances taking such foes on alone would be the height of foolishness... but this is Sakura’s one chance to catch him before he can complete his rite and flee once again. The choice was obvious.

So now she rides, alone and unremarked, towards what might very well be her death.  Sakura tries to calm herself for the upcoming battle. She knows full well that trying to take Tsuba on, unaccompanied by her yoriki, is likely to lead to her death- but, perhaps, she can take Tsuba with her. 

Her thoughts, perhaps unsurprisingly, turn to Yuzuki, far away- if she has one regret from this, it is that she won't get to see her love again. But... Yuzuki will understand. Sakura instead turns her attention to the fight to come, her ears focused for the sound of the cult and whatever foul ritual they're enacting right now.

Her breathing is calm, her face smooth. And her upcoming potential- almost certain- death lighter than a feather in her mind. 

She is ready.

Sakura’s pony slows to a gentle walk, and a cold breeze runs taunting fingers through her hair. The trees are no longer so dense - indeed, judging by the echoes she is no longer among them at all, and has therefore reached her destination.

Ahead she can hear the gentle rippling of the river, still sluggish from the winter freeze. So too can be heard the whimpering of girls and the muffled curses of men; the peasants from the local village, still alive but in evident fear for their life. And above it all... yes, a low chanting, words spoken in a tongue no human should ever use. The scent of blood mingles with that of frost upon the early morning air.

She is perhaps a few dozen metres from the shore, and while the enemy do not appear to have spotted her yet (no sentries - sloppy) this is surely only a matter of moments.

Sakura dismounts, her feet impacting on the soil- with a soft _crunch_ to her ears. Against others, with more honour, she might challenge the leader to an Iaijutsu duel. But these are cultists of the power behind the shadowlands- without even the little honour that bandits have. So... Sakura draws her blade, the sound of steel sliding out of the scabbard clear to her ears. 

_Fortunes, guide my blade. Ancestors... should I fall here, I entrust myself to you. And... Lady Amaterasu, bless me with strength against the forces of evil._

Sakura advances, her blade at the ready. The sound of steel does what her mere presence did not - the cultists react, a rapid series of calls echoing out across the clearing. The chanting does not stop, but it _does_ develop a certain edge - irritation, perhaps. Evidently some kind of order is given, for the chaotic sounds of a group taken by surprise fade and are replaced by more cautious and coordinated steps.

With a series of faint _crunching_ sounds the cultists spread out to surround Sakura, their wariness evident in every sound.

"Well, well, magistrate," one of them says, standing slightly apart from the others - ah yes, her reports had spoken of a lieutenant of sorts, a rough looking sort who might have been a ronin or just a bandit with stolen swords, "coming alone, like in the stories? Not the smartest decision you've ever made."

Sakura smiles. "But still, wiser than those _you_ have made. Perhaps I will die here, but even in death, my soul is pure- and I cannot say the same for any of you."

The sound of the cultists moving identifies their positions to the blind swordswoman, Sakura raising her blade as her breath steadies- waiting for the precise moment when they're about to charge her- and, herself ready to charge at that moment. It's almost like the tension of an Iaijutsu duel, waiting for the right moment to strike when the enemy's guard is at its weakest...

"Eh, whatever," the Lieutenant says brusquely, "kill her, lads."

With a series of bloodthirsty roars (which almost but not entirely hide the fear beneath them) the cultists charge. 

Sakura doesn't yell as she meets them- simply focuses on the noise of their yells and the sound of their feet. The cultists themselves... they're a distraction. It's the _leader_ who's the biggest threat, and so he's who she goes for first. Letting them follow her, Sakura uses her mobility to her advantage as she lets a blow catch against her sleeve, tearing it but leaving her skin untouched- before she takes her sword in a two handed blow, slashing at the lieutenant and aiming to keep him on the defensive while she tries to exploit an opening.

Cursing, the lieutenant stumbles back - his gait is heavy, implying armour, and the whooshing of his weapon implies some kind of hammer or perhaps even a tetsubo.

"Don't just stand there, gut the whore!" He yells, and with shrill yells his subordinates rush in to comply. Spears and clubs hiss as they cut through the early morning air, seeking to batter the samurai into submission.

A samurai is no easy prey, however, and even outnumbered as badly as Sakura is, their attacks never quite strike true. With a loud yell the lieutenant tries to counter attack in turn, his heavy hammer whistling sharply as it swings directly for her head.

Sakura ducks neatly under the blow from the hammer- and lets her torn sleeve flutter loose, pulled away from her kimono by another stab from a spear. As it pulls free, she lets it flutter directly into the face of one of the cultists- smiling at the curse she hears- before she strikes again, her expression remarkably hard to read with the blindfold concealing her eyes. Again, she focuses on the lieutenant, pressing her advantage from her mobility. "If a Crab were here, I can only imagine how angry they'd be that their fighting style is being used in the service of that which they fight. That, and simply at how... bad you are at implementing it."

Her words are punctuated by a series of slashes and jabs, aiming to keep him further off-guard, ready for a finishing blow...

"Fuck the Crab, fuck the Crane," the bandit growls, but beneath his bluster Sakura can hear genuine fear. No one is entirely sanguine at being pressed so hard by a lethal weapon, and it is perhaps no surprise to hear him shift back into a more defensive stance. "Fuck _all_ of you. Thinking you're better than us, just because of where you were born..."

As he speaks the cultists continue to attack, darting in and out to test brief strikes at Sakura’s back and sides; tactics that might work against someone who actually _has_ blind spots, but they would be far from the first to be so disconcerted by her condition.

"Because of where I was born?"

Sakura suddenly _whirls_ away into the group of cultists, her sword a flashing blur as she strikes- against foes less guarded than the bandit and less skillful, she employs more decisive blows, and although she ends up taking more tears to her kimono, each is a deliberate sacrifice to prevent herself taking injuries. "No. I am _better_ than you because I have honour, because I am not aiding in foul rituals to sacrifice lives to serve Jigoku. I have met ronin with honour, but you have _none_."

The cultists are peasants, more or less, and where the bandit leader has some measure of skill and experience with the blade these poor fools have nothing of the kind. The stench of blood and broken meat fills the air as one by one the cultists fall, clutching grevious wounds or toppling to the ground in silence.

In the distance, the chanting stops.

"Tsuba! For fuck's sake get over here and..." the lieutenant calls, before breaking off. "Wait, where are you... you fuck! You utter traitorous bastard, _get back here!_ "

Sakura hears the bandit lieutenant start to retreat, stumbling back across the clearing away from the river. He trips and almost falls over the corpses of one of the other cultists, but... no, he's moving in a different direction to where Tsuba was last she knew, fleeing entirely rather than fighting to the death for his nominal superior.

In that case... he gets to live. Sakura takes the scabbard of her blade in one hand, tapping it against the ground as she runs- the echoes helping her to navigate as she chases towards Tsuba.

"Over there, miss!" One of the peasants calls out, still tied up by the river bank, "He's going along the path!"

Ahead of her comes the sound of a blasphemous curse, but Tsuba is apparently not intending to stop anytime soon, fleeing as fast as his legs are able to take him. Sakura can smell the faint whiff of blood - did he use his own for that foul ritual?

"My thanks!" Sakura pursues, following the whiff of blood- foolish of him, she can follow _that_ wherever he cares to go. Her feet propel her against the dirt path, each step more sure and steady than she has any right to be without sight...

Duty lends her speed, honour guides her steps, and the scent of blood and growled curses betrays Tsuba's course even without sight to follow. He sticks to the river bank at first, and then diverts straight up the hill that the water flows around.

It is a mistake. Sakura’s information tells her that Tsuba was a merchant before falling into wickedness, and his physical fitness is far from exemplary. He is breathing hard before he even hits the summit, and it is abundantly clear to everyone involved that Sakura will catch him sooner rather than later.

"You can't escape, Tsuba! Surrender now, and you will have a quick death!"

" **FU LENG!** " The _maho-tsukai_ calls, sliding to a halt atop the hill and turning to face the samurai. There is a tearing sound of steel through silk and skin, and the scent of blood grows vastly stronger. " **Take it all! Take everything I have, but give me _vengeance!_** "

The air grows colder, plunging into the depths of winter, and Sakura tastes something sickly sweet against her lips. Her foe is casting a spell, calling upon his own life force and the sacrifices already made. 

Sakura's blood runs cold. The spell's already being cast, but perhaps she can stop it. 

She rushes forwards, her blade seeking his heart. Or, failing that, to cut whatever he brings forwards in the first instant of its summoning.

There is a horrible tearing sound. Something chitters with malignant glee, the sound so foul she is almost glad she cannot see the source. She rushes forwards, blade at the ready, but it will not be enough. The wound in the world has already been torn, and now the enemy comes forth.

In the distance, dawn breaks. 

The light of the sun is a physical thing, soft and warm as a mother's touch. It sinks down through Sakura’s skin and into her very bones, and where it goes the cold filth of Jigoku's touch drains away, banished like so much dew. 

Sakura takes a breath.

And she strikes. 

It's a perfect strike, one she would be proud to achieve at any dojo or during any duel, as her blade carves through all resistance. And yet, here... she knows it won't be enough. As she follows through after the strike she moves a few steps away, her blade at the ready. 

She's almost certainly going to die, now. But she will stand her ground.

It should not be enough. Mortal steel, no matter how skillful the hand that wields it, should not be enough here. The strike should fail, the Oni should emerge, and Sakura should stand her ground and die with honour.

And yet.

The light of the sun is with her, and it is no paltry thing. The warmth in her bones that banished the cold grows ever stronger, like a fire beneath her skin, a blazing torrent of heat that fills her mind and body alike with divine, wonderous power.

And just for a moment... for one brief, solitary moment, it feels like Sakura is back in the dojo. Back in the dojo, with her sensei's hand upon her arm, a voice of wisdom whispering in her ear. It tells her to abandon thought, abandon fear, forget everything that exists beyond the length of her sword and strike.

She does.

She strikes.

And Tsuba falls.

Sakura exhales, and turns. Listening for any sign of life, of the monster that Tsuba was trying to summon.

The monster is gone. The wound in the world is gone. There is nothing left of her foe but a corpse upon the ground and blood upon her blade, and beyond...

Beyond there is _everything_.

Sakura can hear the creaking of the trees, the rush of the wind, the flow of the river. She can smell the crisp clarity of the snow and the sweet echo of freshly fallen wood. She can feel the light of the sun and the press of the wind, the faint scrape of every narrow miss.

Distantly, the birds begin to call, welcoming the dawn with sweet music, and as Sakura stands there atop the hill she can hear each and every note.

In that moment, she comes closer to understanding beauty than ever before.

Sakura simply... listens. For a long moment, she listens to the beauty of the world. 

Then, she starts to move, reaching for the cloth in her sleeve- ah, of course, her left sleeve was torn off during the fight. Sighing, Sakura removes her blindfold, using the plain, dark blue cloth to wipe the blood off her blade- and then, letting the cloth fall onto his corpse. Marking the location in her mind- she'll send people to burn the body- she moves down the hill, even more certain of every step. 

Too certain. Her hearing was sharp, but not... _this_ sharp. Her senses were not this strong. 

...what happened to her, during that strike?

A question for later. For now, she returns down the hill, to free the peasants still bound at the ritual site.

Sakura retraces her steps, following the banks of the river back down to where this whole fight began. Ahead she can hear the peasants, muttering to each other in worried tones, moving around in ways that indicate they are likely already free of their bindings.

The voices stop, trailing off into silence, and... wait, they shouldn't be able to see her yet, there are still trees in the way...

Sakura steps out from the trees, her eyes open sightlessly, as she speaks up. "Are you all unharmed?"

There is a faint choking sound, as though of shock... and then, with a rippling series of thuds, the peasants throw themselves on the ground, heads clearly pressed to the ground.

"Lady Sun..." one of them says, her voice thick with tears.

"...what."

"Forgive us, my lady!" One of them calls out, apparently taking her surprise for disapproval, "We are... we are not learned in the rites, but... Tomo, quick, get me that offering bowl..."

The last is said in a harsh whisper, but she hears it clearly all the same.

"I'm... not Amaterasu. There must be _some_ reason you're thinking as such, but..."

Sakura turns to them, revealing the slightly clouded colour of her pupils. "I will need you to describe why I look that way."

There is a brief pause here, as the _heimin_ do their best to silently determine which of them should speak. Eventually one of them musters up the courage.

"You... the light, my lady," she says, the croak of her voice revealing her to be one of the more elderly people in the group, "There is a light around you, bright as the sun, and... some kind of mark upon your brow..."

Sakura raises a hand to her forehead, nodding. "...ah. Then perhaps the Lady Sun gave me aid, just then."

She doesn't say it out loud, but she's truly grateful for it. Without it, she'd certainly be dead. But... nothing like this has ever happened before, to her knowledge. "To return to my first question, are any of you injured?"

"Ah, no, my lady," the older woman says again, "a few bumps and scrapes, but you got here before anything worse could happen. Tomo managed to just one of their weapons to cut open his bonds, so..."

Her voice trails off, and Sakura can hardly blame her. What kind of etiquette does one follow in a circumstance such as this? 

After a short pause, Sakura nods. "Very well."

She can certainly understand, yes. She doesn't know if this blessing will last, what the reaction of the rest of Rokugan might be if she keeps on shining like this the rest of her life... she wishes Yuzuki were here. Assuming...

Oh, spirits, what if Yuzuki reacts like this?

No. Not something to consider right now- the peasants shouldn't see her uncertain, even if their own uncertainty is understandable. Sakura turns her head. "In that case, I shall accompany you back to the closest village, and from there you may make your way back to your own villages."

"As you command, my lady," the old woman says, and with that begins to chivvy her neighbors into motion. With some caution they rise and begin preparing themselves for the walk back.

There is a faint whinny of confusion as Sakura’s pony trots back across the clearing towards her. It stops and sniffs, as though not entirely sure it recognises the woman standing before it.

"Still me, girl." Smiling, Sakura lets the pony sniff her hand. "Still the same smells, see?"

The pony seems vaguely skeptical, but after a moment's consideration is willing to go along with it for now. Smiling, Sakura pats the pony gently as she mounts and starts to lead the gathering along.

The route back down the woodsman's path is an easy one to follow, and for the most part the peasants follow along readily enough, whispering to each other as they try to fit what just happened into their view of the world.

Sakura can hear them well enough, however, and that in turn provides her the first clues to her new nature. The light around her is apparently starting to dim, a sensation she can match up to the slowly receding sense of warmth within her chest. It puts her in mind of a fire cooling down to embers, but something tells Sakura that it will never entirely go out. It will always be there, ready to be called upon in the future.

A part of her.

Sakura frowns in thought as she realises that the blessing remains. She realises... the heightened awareness isn't really going away, either. But, at least, the visible signs of the blessing seem to be receding.

It takes perhaps an hour to... no, not perhaps; _exactly_ an hour to return to the nearest village. Sakura can feel the sun as it moves by overhead, know its location as she knows that of her own arm. 

Regardless, after an hour she emerges from the woods once more, peasants in tow, and are greeted by joyous shouts from the village up ahead. The group she were leading moves past her in a sudden rush, running to their relatives with joy and relief, and in a moment or two it is only the old woman who has lingered by Sakura’s side.

"Your pardon, my lady," she says quietly, "We have... we don't have any kimono, but we can at least provide you with rice if you would wish to rest after your... after everything."

Sakura smiles, serenely but warmly. "That will be appreciated. I will need to speak with the village burakumin first, however, to command them to deal with the bodies."

"I... would be honoured to pass along the message, my lady," the old woman says hesitantly, "one such as you should not have to deal with such base matters."

Sakura pauses. Then nods. "Very well, do so."

"Of course, my lady," the peasant bows low, the faint creak of her old bones actually audible to Sakura’s ears now, then gestures for a couple of the nearby peasants to approach, "take the Blessed One to my husband's house and give her whatever she needs. We will need to break out the good food."

Sakura... lets the use of Blessed One pass. This will likely become a peasant legend quite quickly, but... well, she's unsure how she feels about that just yet. 

A day or so later, she sets off, with new destinations in mind. She needs to find a monastery... with a monk she can consult on... what's happened to her.

The borderlands between the Scorpion and the Crane are not an especially developed region; villages like the one you just left are the norm, and aside from the minor Clans of the Sparrow, Fox and Wasp to the north, there's only a minimal samurai presence.

Even so, Rokugan is a spiritual land, and one can always find a monastery if one wishes to search for it. In this case there is a small shrine perhaps two days ride out along the road from Sakura’s starting point, which the peasants inform her serves more of a home base to the monks that normally spend most of the year assisting them with various matters.

She reaches the fork in the road they told you about, where the main route back to the Crane lands is joined by a small trail leading up into the nearby foothills.

Sakura breathes in the air as she turns her pony up the trail- one she can identify far more easily than she could have earlier. The way her senses are heightened is... perhaps the most convenient of the changes so far.

...to be fair, she hasn't been able to test the other blessings she's been given just yet, but... still, the change is remarkable.

The sound of hooves on stone is very distinctive, and the echoes it generates paint a picture in her mind of the surrounding terrain. Sakura hears the arch she passes under, feels the presence of the low wall and the large central building by the way it disrupts the wind flow, and with confidence rides her pony into the main square of a monastery she has never visited before.

There is a rapid shuffling noise, and then a young man approaches her, bowing politely. "Welcome, Kakita-sama, to the Blue Mountain Shrine. Have you had rice today?"

"I have, monk-san." Sakura smiles gently as she keeps her eyes closed- the fact that they hurt if exposed to the sun for too long has _not_ changed, and she needs a new blindfold. "Might I speak with one of the senior monks? It regards... a spiritual matter."

"Of course, Kakita-sama," the monk says politely, hiding his surprise at her blindness with passable skill, "if you could accompany me, I will take you to the abbot, Sister Wren."

Nodding, Sakura leaves her pony in the courtyard as she follows the monk, stepping surely. Earlier, she might have needed to rap her scabbard against the stone once or twice- now, the sound of her own steps and the echoes prove sufficient for her.

She is lead through stone corridors and up winding staircases, climbing to what she believes is almost the top of the tower she sensed on her way in. Eventually her guide stops outside a small door, through which can be heard the wind. "Sister Wren likes to spend time on the balcony during a clear day," he says politely, by way of explanation, "likely she saw you ride in and is waiting for you."

Sakura nods, inclining her head in thanks. "My thanks, monk-san." And then, she opens the door, extending her senses...

It is easy to find the Abbot the monk spoke of. The creak of a wooden chair, the rustle of thick robes, the faint scent of pipe smoke...

"Ah, welcome, Kakita-sama," Sister Wren says from her seat on the balcony, "please, forgive me for not bowing. My joints pain me something fierce in the mornings."

Sakura smiles softly. "I understand, Sister Wren. Have you had rice today?"

"Some, yes. Please, join me," the Abbot says, reaching out and tapping a hand against the wooden frame of another chair. "I like to look out over the world when I can, and... ah, well, you should still be able to enjoy the wind on your face."

Sakura smiles. "Or listen to the sounds of the world, yes."

Sitting, she enjoys the sounds and the wind on her face for a moment, simply sharing the moment with Sister Wren before they get to the reason for her visit.

They sit in companionable silence for a few minutes, and then Wren speaks. "So. A spiritual matter, if I heard right?"

"Yes. During my most recent case as an Emerald Magistrate, a... most curious thing happened to me, one I have not heard of, and I was wondering if you had, Sister Wren. For now, I must ask you keep my questions in confidence, however."

"Who would I even tell?" Wren says with a snort, tapping her pipe against the edge of her chair for a moment, "but if wish my silence, you have it. Provided this isn't something criminal, anyway."

"It is not, no. I simply wish to understand it before I let it be known. Once I ask, you may understand my reasons."

Sakura is silent for a moment, before she speaks again. "Have you ever heard of a case where the Lady Sun _directly_ blessed a samurai?"

There is a pause, and then a faint creak as Wren shifts in her seat to look at her. "It is said that Heaven intervenes when the world stands upon a knife's edge, and more than one samurai has had dreams or visions of Lady Sun that have assisted them greatly," she says slowly, "but something tells me you speak of something... more."

Sakura nods. "When I struck against a sorcerer, I struck faster than should be possible- fast enough to stop him from summoning an evil to the world, when it should not have been possible to do so. Afterwards... according to the peasants who saw me then, there was a light around me afterwards. Their words were bright as the sun. I certainly felt a... burning inside me, but one that did not consume me or pain me, but instead simply warmed me. I'm not sure how to describe it exactly, Sister. And it's still there, although more like an ember, now- although I feel I could reawaken it if I needed to."

She breathes in. "I hear more clearly than I did- far more. I smell more, feel the wind and I can tell where things are. I do not know what else, not yet, but I can tell things are... different, now."

Sister Wren is silent for a long moment.

"Well, how about that," she says thoughtfully, studying Sakura carefully, "Yes, I can certainly see why you might wish to seek counsel on this matter. You say the feeling is still there?"

"Yes. As I said, it is... lesser, but it feels like that is simply because I am not drawing on it, not because it has weakened."

"Fascinating," the Abbot says, pausing for a moment to take a drag on her pipe. "I have... well, hmm. I have never heard of _Lady Sun_ blessing a mortal directly in this fashion, but there are others I can think of."

She mulls over her words for a few moments before continuing. "Certain monks of my order learn how to study the elements and so embody them to some degree, and what you describe sounds similar in many ways - I have for myself seen veterans of the order cover themselves in flame or transform their skin to that of marble, at least for a short time." The monk continues, "And then of course there are the shugenja; I am given to understand something similar happens to the more senior of their order. However... you did not seek this out? You have not trained with monks or prayed to Amaterasu before making this strike?"

"A quick prayer, before confronting the sorcerer. Nothing more."

"Curious. To wield _kiho_ requires rigorous training, but... hmm," Wren thinks about this for a few moments longer, "in that case, the closest comparison I could think of is that of the Oracles. It is said that at times, the Elemental Dragons may choose a mortal to act as their voice in this world, to fulfill some great purpose that the Celestial Order forbids them from attending to directly. It is... not _impossible_ that Lady Sun would do something similar, though what the purpose in question might be is a question I do not think I could answer."

"Neither could I. What the sorcerer was summoning... would have killed me, certainly, and caused devastation, but Rokugan has defeated worse from evil's domain before. And from what you are saying, Sister, this has not happened on any of those occasions."

"Then I can only assume your purpose lies in the future," the monk says after a moment, "You have a role to play, a destiny to fulfil, and this blessing is meant to ensure you are able to match it when the time comes. It kept you alive when you would have died, and from what you say it has sharpened you, reforged you almost, as a smith might forge metal."

Sakura frowns in thought as she considers what she hears. "Which would you say is the better course, Sister? To reveal the gift given to me, or to wait, until I know more of its purpose?"

"Ah, now _that_ is a question," Wren chuckles quietly, "you will be a great stone cast into the lake, I think. I do not dare offer true advice, not on such a matter, but... I know who might. Tell me, are you familiar with the Moshi? The... Centipede Clan, I believe they call themselves?"

"Hmmm. Only vaguely, Sister. A minor clan, but I know not their area of expertise."

"They were Phoenix, once, if I recall correctly, until their founder was given a vision by the Lady Amaterasu," Wren says with a nod, "She commanded them to worship and serve her above all others, and has blessed their line ever since with a great number of Shugenja, as well as many other visions. They are, I think, the closest thing you will find to Priestesses of the Sun in all of Rokugan. If any know what your blessing might entail, I would say it is they."

Sakura nods in understanding. "I know what I must do next, then- at least regarding this. Thank you, Sister."


	3. Duty and Honour

**Two Weeks Later**  
**Hayaku Province, Daidoji Lands**

Prosperous Plains City is one of the largest open-air markets in Rokugan, a vital trade link on the roads that connect the heartlands of the Crane and the original site of the small hut where Kakita once encountered the wise woman Yasuki. Even from a mile off Sakura can hear the hustle and bustle in the air, the pad of feet and the click of hooves. More than one passing caravan has offered to share the road with her en route to the city, but each she's declined in the interests of making better time.

This, the last Sakura knew, is where Yuzuki is based, part of the local garrison force from the Imperial Legions that help to maintain the peace between so many different Clans. It is consequently where she arranged to meet her Yoriki, once their own investigation had concluded.

Sakura clucks gently to her horse as she hears the hustle and bustle of the city ahead- spurring it onwards. Two weeks by herself had been enough time to test her abilities... at least a little. She still didn't know enough, though. And... she had thought long and hard about who to tell about her blessing before she knew more. 

In the end, she had decided to keep things close- she would tell Yuzuki, of course, and Takeshi and Kasumi as well. Anyone else... would wait until she knew _what_ she was telling them about. And for that... the Sister was right, she needed to see the Moshi. But first, she needed to meet the pair. She knew their meeting place- a favourite tea house of hers in Properous Plains City, the Jasmine Dragon. And she could find her way there quite easily.

The noise, of course, is incredible. Cities like this one are always chaotic places, and with the benefit of her newly sharpened senses... the clamour should be overwhelming. Sakura hears the thunder of feet on stone, the click of coins changing hands, the roar and rumble of conversation in a hundred different accents, the snorts of ponies, the background gurgle of the Blind Monk River... and yet, despite it all, she finds herself not nearly as swamped as she should be. She registers the noise, the smell, the warmth and cold... it just doesn't overwhelm her.

The path to the Jasmine Dragon is, at least, a well known one. Her pony barely needs any guidance at all to follow it, and soon enough she's drawing up outside, her passage through the crowded streets eased by the respect for any samurai of her status.

There is a pitter-patter of small feet.

"Ah, Kakita Sakura-sama!" The sweet, piping voice of the manager's daughter, Azumi, comes from somewhere near her right flank, "Welcome back!"

"Thank you, Azumi. I do so look forwards to the tea your father makes." Smiling gently, Sakura dismounts. "Have you seen where Hida Takeshi-san and Asahina Kasumi-san are?"

"Ah, they arrived yesterday... no, the day before!" Azumi says, moving in to whisper softly to Sakura's pony, "Papa should know where they are! He's just inside. Shall I take your pony to the stables?"

Sakura hands the reins to Azumi, smiling at her. "Of course- my thanks, Azumi." Were it a larger or less docile animal, Sakura would be concerned- but then again, Azumi was good with animals. Sakura starts to make her way inside the inn, rapping the bottom of her sword's sheathe a few times against the ground to pinpoint the doorframe from the echoes.

Sliding open the door to the tea house, she is greeted by a wave of warm air and the rich scent of recently brewed tea. The murmur of conversation grows stronger, only to be drowned out by the friendly tones of the manager.

"Ah, Kakita Sakura-sama, good to see you again!" Ichiro is a well built man who makes the floorboards underfoot creak slightly as he walks around his counter to bow before Sakura. She knows him to be a ronin, but one of good standing who seems keen not to discuss his own past. "I suspected when I saw your assistants that you might be next to arrive. Please, follow me and I'll take you to them."

Sakura's smile takes on a hint of warmth- a lot of ronin, she distrusts, but Ichiro is the rare honorable exception. "Of course, Ichiro-san." She returns his bow with a small one of her own, before following him.

The manager leads her through the main room of his tea house, winding an easy path through the tables and cushions she knows to be laid out there. The first time she came here he made a great fuss about clearing a way for Sakura, but now he knows her skill well enough to simply lead her as he would any other samurai. She catches snippets of conversation as she passes through, for the Jasmine Dragon is a popular establishment that draws patrons from all over the Empire- but of course it would be rude to deliberately eavesdrop.

Past the main room Ichiro maintains a series of private chambers where small parties of samurai can sit and drink together with some privacy, and it is to one of these that he leads Sakura now. A polite rap on the wooden frame of the door, a muffled greeting and then she is in.

"Ah, Kakita-sama, there you are," Hida Takeshi says in his rough tones, "we were beginning to worry."

Sakura smiles as she enters and sits opposite her Yoriki- some might take offense, but Takeshi was simply blunt, not intentionally impolite. "No need for worry, Hida-san. My lead lead me into direct confrontation with Tsuba, but that is not the reason for my delay- I made a detour to a monastery during my return journey. Before I tell you why... might I ask how your own hunt went, Hida-san, Asahina-san?" Kasumi hadn't spoken up yet, but Sakura could hear her heartbeat- slightly faster than Takeshi's slow and steady beat.

"Well enough, Kakita-sama," Asahina Kasumi replies, her tone as soft as ever. Sakura has known the woman to stare down angry samurai with blades unsheathed, but she's never known her to raise her voice. "We were able to intercept several of Tsuba's acolytes before they could properly embed themselves into the population and start splinter cults of their own. It seemed as though they were attempting to prepare for some greater work."

"Ah, but you ran into Tsuba directly?" Takeshi notes, and Sakura can almost _hear_ his smile, "Since you're here alone, uninjured at that... I assume he's dead, then?"

"Yes. He had abducted some _heimin_ and was preparing to use their blood to summon an oni. When I cornered him, he attempted to take his own life and use that to summon it- I imagine, in a final act of spite. Had I not cut him down first, I would not be here."

Sakura speaks of the concept with calm acceptance. After all, every samurai should be prepared to accept that. "However... what happened during that cut and afterwards is why I made my detour to the monastery. However, I would prefer not to repeat myself- I asked Utaku Yuzuki to join us, so I would prefer to wait for her."

"An Oni? Shit-fondling heretic," Takeshi growls, before suddenly catching himself. "Ah, my apologies. I... and you faced him alone?"

"I believe she just said so, Hida-san," Kasumi says with gentle reproof.

"I know, I know, it's just... bah. Going up against something like that is suicide, that's what we're always taught," Takeshi mutters sullenly.

Outside, Sakura can hear the faint creak of someone else making their way across the floor of the tea house.

"But you are also taught that sometimes, it is necessary. I believe..."

Sakura trails off as she tilts her head slightly, trying to listen for the heartbeat of whoever it is making their way across the floor.

There is a faint rap on the door. 

"Excuse me," Utaku Yuzuki says from the far side, her voice very formal, "But I was asked to meet an Emerald Magistrate here. Might I enter?"

"Please, do, Yuzuki-san." Sakura's smile takes on a slight edge of warmth as she hears her lover's voice.

The door slides open with a soft whisper, and then Yuzuki enters, moving across the room with the slight rolling gait that many Unicorn end up acquiring over their careers. She settles into the place left for her with a grateful sigh.

"Oh, that's better," she says quietly, to herself, before addressing the room, "Sakura-san, Hida-san, Asahina-san... you look grim. Bad news?"

"Reporting on our most recent case, Yuzuki-san. An attempted oni-summoning."

Sakura would lessen her words for some, but Yuzuki preferred plain speech. "As I said, in the moments before he managed to do so, I was able to cut him down. What happened during that cut, however... is why I made my detour to the monastery. As I made the cut, I moved faster than I ever have before, and I felt... I do not know how to properly describe it. The sun blazing in my veins, but not burning me up. I hear more clearly, now. Far more than anyone should be able to, even with the years of practice I have. And... after I cut him down, according to the peasants I was... well, glowing. As bright as the sun was their exact words."

Sakura's face is smooth as she speaks. "I visited the monastery to ask if the abbess knew of anything like this. She did not beyond speculation."

There is silence in the room for a few moments, and Sakura can hear the force with which Yuzuki suppresses her initial reaction. She is tense, and her heart beats faster, but... well, she always did have impeccable self control. It falls to Hida Takeshi to speak first.

"Hah! And to think, some doubt that our cause is righteous," he says with a laugh, slapping one hand against his thigh in enthusiasm, "Ah, to be touched by the sun herself to bring justice to the wicked... it is a thing out of story. This thing Tsuba tried to call must have been dire indeed, to justify the hand of the heavens themselves in stopping it."

"A thing out a story indeed..." Asahina Kasumi says, her tone rather more pensive, "Certainly the heavens are said to intervene at critical moments, but... you say your senses are sharper?"

"Yes. This was not a momentary thing, it still lasts. My hearing is far sharper, and while I have not had cause, I believe that I could call upon the speed that allowed me to cut Tsuba down again if I needed to. The Abbess suggested that if anyone might know more, it would be the Moshi."

"The Centipede?" Kasumi says thoughtfully, "Yes, I suppose they would be the ones to speak to first."

"Can't say I've heard of them," Takeshi says doubtfully, "Some Minor Clan, I assume?"

"Yes, descended from a Phoenix, I believe - they keep to themselves for the most part, in their lands up near the... I want to say the Mountains of Regret?"

"That's a fair old journey," Takeshi says, his hair rustling slightly as he shakes his head, "Weeks at least. I doubt anyone would complain about a samurai seeking spiritual guidance after something like this, of course. Maybe... it's just what happens when one is touched by Heaven? A blade does not return to ore once it has struck the foe for which it was forged."

And still, Yuzuki is silent.

"Indeed. I wish to know more before making this known, I think."

Sakura's head turns slightly, towards her love. "Yuzuki-san, your thoughts?"

"I... am uncertain," Yuzuki says, her tone outwardly composed... but Sakura knows her better than almost anyone, and the Crane can _hear_ the distress she keeps carefully under wraps. "I have never heard of this happening before, so... yes, consulting a monk or priest seems... wise."

Sakura pauses for a moment, before she turns to her Yoriki- trying not to seem eager to wrap the meeting up and speak to Yuzuki alone. "I will not command either of you to come with me. This is not, strictly, related to my duties as Magistrate. I will compose my report to the Champion before I leave, however, so we will likely have a few days here."

And largely succeeding in the attempt, Sakura keeping her own tone composed and hiding the worry she starts to feel.

"I might... appreciate a chance to visit my family, in that case, Kakita-sama?" Kasumi says cautiously, "Just while you speak with the priestesses, of course."

"Hey, you'll need someone to deliver the report, so I could do that," Takeshi says with an audible shrug, "For now, though... hmm, I think I saw a Yasuki I know earlier today. Would you mind if I went to speak with him, Kakita-sama?"

"Feel free to do so, Hida-san, Asahina-san."

Sakura's two Yoriki rise and, bowing to her, get ready to depart. Neither of them know about her relationship with Yuzuki, but neither of them seem surprised that she remains behind either.

Sakura waits a bare handful of moments before she removes her blindfold, opening her clouded eyes as she turns her head towards Yuzuki. "...Yuzuki, it's still _me_."

There is a brief catch in Yuzuki's breath at that, and it takes her a few moments before she can speak.

"I know, but... Sakura, you must understand, this is..." she says softly, hesitantly, "You will go to see the Moshi, of course, and I don't know what they will say, but... you can't just be blessed like that and go back to living as before. Someone blessed by Heaven is going to keep the company of Priests and Champions, not... not humble legionaires."

Sakura turns, and reaches out to grasp Yuzuki's hand. "To me, you're not just a humble _anything_. I _love_ you, Yuzuki. Yes, I might be blessed, maybe I will keep the company of priests and champions- but I think if Amaterasu wished for someone blessed to be separate from humble legionaires, as you say... she would have blessed a Champion. Circumstances may draw us apart from a time, but I will _never_ leave you behind, Yuzuki."

Yuzuki's hand is rough, calloused from long hours gripping the reins or the hilt of a sword, and it is trembling. Sakura has never known that to happen before, for the Battle Maiden to be _scared_ of anything. 

She takes a breath, slow and deliberate... then reaches out and touches Sakura skin with her other hand. A slight but insistent pressure is enough to tilt her chin upwards, and then... lips against the Crane's, a kiss as hungry as it is determined.

"All right," Yuzuki says at last, ending the kiss with a soft sigh, "All right then. I'll ride with you for as long as I can. Maybe it won't work out, maybe it will, but I'll be there until the end, one way or another."

"Mmmmmmmf..."

Sakura returns the kiss, her own lips tender against Yuzuki's- but determined as well. As they part, she smiles, her hand moving to run along Yuzuki's face. "Thank you."

Pausing, she tilts her head slightly. "If we can arrange it, it would give me comfort to have you come as I go to speak to the Moshi."

"Hmm. I'd be willing, but it might not be that easy," Yuzuki murmurs, evidently taking some pleasure merely holding Sakura close, "I'm a legionnaire, after all. We'd need my commander's permission, and Bayushi Etsuji is a very determined sort of man."

"Hrmmm... do you have any ideas? You know him better than I, after all." Sakura smiles, enjoying the closeness herself.

"Well, he _is_ a Scorpion," Yuzuki replies, a slightly teasing note in her voice, "so maybe he'd be willing to do a favour for a kinswoman. Or he might need something a Magistrate could help with. You'll just have to ask."

Sakura smiles as she leans forwards, resting her head gently against Yuzuki's chest as her arms gently wrap around her lover's body in a gentle embrace. "I am not _that_ close to many of my kin from the Scorpion, but perhaps. Would it be more helpful for you to accompany me to see him, or not?"

"I can set up an appointment with him, that's easy enough," Yuzuki replies, resting one arm around Sakura's shoulders, "He should agree to see an Emerald Magistrate quickly enough, but it's the thought that counts with men like him."

Sakura nods. "Hmmm... at his earliest possible convenience, then? Let's not hurry him, but we shouldn't stay too long, either."

"That sounds about right," Yuzuki nods.  
There is a polite rap on the door. "Kakita-sama, Utaku-sama," Sakura hears Ichiro call politely, "might I enter? I've brought the tea."

Sakura extracts herself with long practice and remarkable quietness from the embrace, returning to her sitting position and smiling gently at Yuzuki before she speaks up. "Of course, Ichiro-san."

The door slides open and Ichiro enters, his steps shuffling slightly as he carefully sets down a well laden tray on the small table in the middle of the room. There is a faint _click_ as he removes the lid from the pot of tea, and the rich scent of one of his special brews fills the room.

"There we go," the ronin says with satisfaction, "Now, will you be needing a room, Kakita-sama? We have one or two still unoccupied at the moment, at least for the next few days."

"I believe I will, Ichiro-san." Sakura breathes deeply, smiling warmly at the scent.

"Excellent, I'll have one of the girls make sure the place is all fresh and ready for you," Ichiro replies happily, bowing again before backing out of the room.

"...that man is uncannily perceptive," Yuzuki says dryly, after he has left.

"He is, yes. It's part of why I like him so- and the fact that he's remarkably discreet and honest for a ronin."

-/- **The Next Day** -/-  
Arranging a meeting with the head of the local Imperial Legion detachment is actually surprisingly straightforwards. A messenger comes to the Jasmine Dragon early in the morning, conveying an invitation for Kakita Sakura of the Emerald Magistrates to visit Bayushi Etsuji an hour before noon that same day.

Sakura accepts the message with good grace (and asks Ichiro to read it out for her) before accepting gladly- and requests one of the assistants to help her dress in a finer kimono than her normal kimono and hakama. Not quite what she would wear to court, but better than her normal wear- and in deference to not knowing how Etsuji might react to her eyes, she wears the blindfold like most times. 

Dressed and prepared, she arrives on time, asking for directions only a few times along the way- she's finding it easier to navigate in general.

The local Legion detachment maintains its own barracks within the town, a nod to the fact that they have been stationed here for some time. The Crane who provided it have obviously made some effort to make the place appealing - Sakura can hear the faint gurgle of a fountain, and judging by the way the shadows fall across her as she approaches it is clearly several stories high.

There is a woman at the gate, clad in armour that clinks slightly as she shifts posture. One of the Legion, presumably, though she says nothing as Sakura approaches.

Sakura tilts her head slightly, before speaking up. "Kakita Sakura, here to see Bayushi-Sama."

There is a faint _clink_ as the samurai on guard straightens. "Of course, Kakita-sama. He has been expecting you. Please, follow me."

With that said, she opens the wooden gate (it creaks softly) that bars entry to what is evidently a walled compound and moves within, stopping only a dozen paces or so later. Sakura can hear... the sound of a brush on paper, the faint creak of a stool shifting under someone's weight. It seems Bayushi Etsuji has opted to do his daily paperwork out in the yard, under the light of the sun.

"Kakita Sakura-sama, Emerald Magistrate, here to see you sir," the legionaire reports.

"Thank you, Shiba-san," The local commander says politely, setting down his brush. "Be so kind as to get a stool for our guest."

Sakura smiles softly as she waits for the stool, bowing respectfully to the commander. "Greetings, Bayushi-san. Have you had rice today?"

"I have, thank you, Kakita-sama," Bayushi Etsuji replies, rising from his seat just enough to bow to Sakura. His kimono rustles slightly as he moves. "I hope you do not mind speaking here? I like to enjoy the light of Lady Sun when I work - it reminds me of the importance of what I do."

"It is no problem, Bayushi-San. I may not see Her light, but I can still appreciate the warmth it gives."

An especially appropriate statement, given the nature of her blessing... but that was not for this moment.

"Thank you, Kakita-sama," the Scorpion replies, sitting himself back down, "Now, I understand you wished to speak with me for some purpose? That is what Utaku-san suggested, anyway."

"I did, yes."

Sakura nodded in thanks as her stool was brought out, sitting on the other side of the desk from him. "I would like to request that Utaku-san be seconded to my command- temporarily, of course. I find I have need of someone of her skills and perspective for an issue arising from my duties, and given that I have worked with her in the past, she was the first candidate who came to mind."

"That seems reasonable enough. I see no reason why not," Bayushi Etsuji replies smoothly, "Speaking of the value of appropriate skills, however, I wonder if I might request your assistance with a small matter of my own, here in Prosperous Plains City?"

"Of course, Bayushi-san." Sakura smiles gently- she does know the Scorpion's reputation, but on the other hand... using an Emerald Magistrate for something overly underhanded would be a rather risky move. Just in case, though, she listens for his heartbeat for any signs of double-crossing... and her senses seem even sharper, everything seeming even clearer to her in a way she can't quite describe.

"It's nothing too out of line with your work, Kakita-sama," The Scorpion says, and for a wonder he seems to be telling the truth. "A member of the Imperial Families, one Otomo Kairyu, has... apparently comitted _seppuku_ within the bounds of the city. I, of course, have to make a report on this matter for his family and superiors. If you would consent to a quick examination of the scene and then add your seal to my report, it would help settle the whole matter that much faster."

There is... ah, a slight tension in his words at the end of the statement, a momentary pause- clues Sakura might once have never even glimpsed now as clear to her as the words to a song. Bayushi Etsuji is telling the truth, but only as it appears to be - he suspects foul play but cannot prove it, and would like to either have the criminal identified or the word of a magistrate to clear him of any assosciated embarassment. Presumably the Legion was supposed to see to this man's security, at least in part.

"Of course, Bayushi-san- it would be my pleasure to do so." Internally... Sakura marvels a little. New abilities... how far will this go?

"Excellent, it would be very much appreciated," The Scorpion says briskly, "Now, the body has of course been properly disposed of, but I had the office where he was found left untouched aside from that, and of course we have a list of witnesses and people of interest. Would you be willing to start straight away, or do you have other appointments this afternoon?"

"I would be willing to start right away. I will need someone to describe those elements of the office reliant purely on sight- Utaku-san is somewhat familiar with doing so, although anyone would do."

Normally, she wouldn’t need to ask, but Sakura's Yoriki have been sent away already- and Yuzuki _had_ done this for her as well, once upon a time.

"Ah, yes, of course," and there it is, the faint tones of someone not entirely sure what kind of etiquette is appropriate for dealing with a blind samurai, "I'll have... ah, there she is."

Sakura hears a rustle of silk as Etsuji waves to someone, and then a faint clicking noise as a woman in armour leaves the building and moves across the courtyard to join you.

"Utaku-san, I need you to go with the Magistrate and provide assistance while she resolves a matter for me," the commander says briskly, "It hopefully won't take too long."

"Of course, sir," Yuzuki says politely, her armour clicking slightly as she bows to them both. "Lead the way please, Kakita-sama."


	4. In Search of Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I feel the need to attach a trigger warning to this chapter for **heavy implications of sexual assault.** It's only a single line, but it's there. 
> 
> Also, if you're wondering why the chapter starts of with my stuff- there was a line from the end of last session that I think worked better here.

"Utaku-san, we are going to Otomo Kairyu's office- do you know where it is?" Sakura rises from her stool deftly, before walking over to where she heard the clink of Yuzuki's armour, all formality for now.

"Of course, Kakita-sama," Yuzuki says politely, turning and heading towards the gate, "He had a small estate near the centre of town."

The two samurai walk in silence for a few moments, heading out of the Legion barracks and into the bustling streets of Prosperous Plains City. It is only once they are out of earshot that Yuzuki speaks again.

"So this is what Bayushi-sama asked in exchange, then?"

"Yes- he seems to suspect a hand behind the death, but he cannot prove it. And he wishes me to either sign my name to the fact that things are as they appear, or to uncover whoever was responsible. He did not say as much, but... these gifts are not purely in battle, it seems. I could have detected he was hiding something before, but he might as well have spoken his motives out loud."

Sakura smiles slightly. "I am not, of course, content merely to confirm the report without first investigating to the utmost of my ability." 

"I thought it might be something of the kind," Yuzuki says with a sigh, "officially Otomo Kairyu's death is no failure of his - the man had his own Seppun yojimbo, and a _seppuku_ takes all responsibility for the death on oneself by design - but there are those who will look for reasons to blame the Legion regardless."

The crowds are thicker here, a swirling mess of voices that echo from the surrounding buildings in strange patterns, but the area directly ahead of the pair is always clear; no one stands in the way of an Imperial Legionnaire in full armour. 

"Hm." The crowds do not concern Sakura overmuch- she's long learnt to deal with the noise from a crowd, and her new senses never get to the point of overwhelming her somehow- but she keeps half an ear out in case anyone is eavesdropping. "Was he specifically tasked with ensuring Otomo Kairyu's safety in some way, or is it simply a matter of the death of a member of an Imperial Family occurring in the same village? And for that matter, what sort of a man was Otomo Kairyu?" 

"The latter, I think, though they also knew each other on a personal basis," Yuzuki notes absently, sniffing slightly as the scent of fried rice drifts over the crowd, "mm, might have to visit that later... anyway, Otomo Kairyu was essentially in charge of the local tax assessments. The task of the Emerald Magistrates normally, but there isn't one assigned to the Prosperous Plains full-time, so he worked his way into collecting it all and then handing it over to your colleagues when time came to deliver, with all appropriate documentation. I never spoke to him in person, but I imagine that would either make him very few friends, or a great many..." 

"Oh, yes, it smells _wonderful_..."

By the estimation of some, Yuzuki had corrupted Sakura regarding proper food for a long time, now. "In other words, there's a strong possibility that Otomo Kairyu was corrupt, and giving improper tax breaks, taking a cut for himself, or both." 

"Otomo Kairyu was a member of the Imperial Families and an honorable man," Yuzuki says by way of response, though her recitation is one of a rote phrase rather than anything spoken with true feeling, "and... ah, there we are. Far side of the market square, two story building, small garden to one side, low wall surrounding the place. Two entrances; main door, small gate in the garden wall."

Her manner is smooth and practiced now, falling back into long-established habits.  


Sakura smiles at the tone- she takes the meaning clearly. "How easily climbable would the walls be? Let's take the garden gate, I want to examine that entrance first."  


"Mm," Yuzuki murmurs, sizing up the wall as she leads Sakura through the square. It seems that several vendors have set up stalls around the perimeter, mostly selling foodstuffs or minor artistic items of one kind or another, "I could do it with a runup, even in armour. It's slightly above head-height, no additional spikes along the top or anything similar."

The noise of the crowd falls away slightly as Yuzuki leads Sakura into a small alley between the estate and the next building over, then the sharp rap of a hand against wood. "Gate is on a latch, easy enough to open from this side. I guess he relied on his yojimbo and the local magistrates for security." 

"And either his connections or the status of an Imperial Family member- for who would attack a direct servant of the Emperor?" Sakura tilts her head, listening for the heartbeats of anyone still inside.  


For a moment the world seems to go still, Sakura's enhanced senses filtering out the background babble of the marketplace in favour of the slight sounds from within the estate.

There is... a faint crunching sound, footsteps on gravel and a rhythmic grinding noise. Someone in the garden, neating the paths with a rake, perhaps. Beyond that... Sakura can hear the faint echoes of someone within the house itself, slowing wandering the halls. Nothing else, save for the faint burbling of a water feature in the garden. 

"Ah, good, a servant is still tending the garden. And... hm, a guard still patrols, perhaps? Hopefully, they have left his office as untouched as possible. Let us enter by the proper route."

Sakura turns, moving towards the front entrance, her memory guiding her back to the main door. "Emerald Magistrate Kakita Sakura, here to investigate the site of Otomo Kairyu's death."  


The course of the footsteps within the house changes, and a moment later the door slides open. She can smell... silk, stained with sweat, and the sharp scent a freshly oiled sword. A samurai, then.  


"Investigation?" The samurai says with some surprise, "Is that truly necessary? Otomo-dono committed _seppuku_."

"You are his _yojimbo_?" Yuzuki asks politely.

"Ah, yes. Seppun Akane," the samurai-ko says slowly. "I have been watching over the estate until the Otomo family decides what is to be done with it."  


"Bayushi Etsuji requested that I confirm his report to the Otomo on Otomo-sama's death- and it would be remiss of me to do so without at least examining the scene of the death myself, Seppun-san." Sakura smiles serenely, not mentioning Etsuji's suspicions to Akane- but listening to her heartbeat more intensely, now, trying to determine if the Seppun was hiding anything.  


"...I see," Seppun Akane says, and there is no mistaking the displeasure in her tone, "Well, I would hate to be an obstacle there. Otomo-dono's body has been disposed of, but his office has been left untouched. Would you like to... inspect it? Or question the staff? Only Mizu, the gardener, is here at present."  


"Both, I think." Sakura thinks for a moment, "but I will inspect the office first."

"This way, then," Akane says, turning and leading the way back into the house. The wooden floor creaks softly under the thee pairs of feet (more notably under Yuzuki, due to the added bulk from her armour) and Sakura can smell the lingering touch of flowers on the air. 

The Seppun leads them up a small staircase at the back of the house, and onto the second floor. Here the scents become more sinister - the faint trace of old blood evident despite the days that must have passed since the Otomo died. 

"This is Otomo-dono's office," Seppun Akane says with strained politeness, "I must ask that you leave all papers where you find them, until the Otomo family can choose what to do with them."  


"Of course."

She will simply have to memorize them, then. After a moment, Sakura withdraws her scabbard from her _obi_ , rapping the end sharply against the floor and listening to the echoes- she can't detect colour or read, of course, but she's found that this method... gives her a remarkably clear sense of a scene, especially with her newly-enhanced senses.  


The echos outline the room in detail - a low desk, mats on the floor, shelves against most of the walls filled with what sound like scrolls, a sliding door leading to the balcony on the far side of the room.

"Blood stains on the mats," Yuzuki notes quietly, standing by the entrance so as not to disturb anything, "old, turning brown."  


"Hrm. The balcony- how difficult would it be to climb in from there?"

Sakura continues in this way- asking questions of Yuzuki, tapping from time to time to reorient herself, using her practiced skills to build a picture of the scene and exactly what happened here. 

If this is what it appears to be, all well and good- but if not, she will find the truth.  


Swiftly, the clues come together, and all is not as the official story would have Sakura believe.

The desk is slightly askew, and while the stain of old blood on the ground indicates that this is clearly where Otomo Kairyu died, the shape that Yuzuki describes is at odds with a kneeling man opening his stomach. The Imperial was standing when the wound was dealt, and knocked the desk sideways on falling.

The documents on the shelves are untouched, and there is no sign of intrusion from the balcony (which would be difficult to reach without rope or some other assistance), but there is a small box hidden at the back of one of the desk's drawers. Inside is a lonely metal koku - the last remnants of what Sakura imagines was evidently a sizeable supply, hidden away from all view. Someone took it after the Otomo was dead.

And standing by the door, watching them with confusion and some nervousness, is Seppun Akane.  


Sakura takes a moment to judge Akane. She's nervous, obviously. Does she know more than she's letting on ...quite possibly. In fact, as Sakura examines the scene, it becomes more and more certain. Akane cannot have missed the signs of the seppuku's falseness. His bodyguard, she cannot have missed the signs of the missing money- she was, after all, probably one of the few who knew the location of the supply. 

Sakura listens to Akane's heart, her breathing, the way she moves- all the subtle signs that slip through one's _on_ , that Sakura's ears cannot possibly miss, as she tries to determine whether the nervousness includes a sense of _guilt_. 

Akane is duplicitous. But is she the murderer?  


Whatever happened with Bayushi Etsoji is apparently not a one-off event, for as Sakura studies the waiting form of the yojimbo she once again reads the veteran samurai like the metaphorical scroll. 

Akane tenses when Yuzuki notes the shape of the blood splatter, relaxes slightly when the two moves on, and then goes very still save for the thundering of her heart when they find the box of funds. She is trying not to show it, but she is afraid of what Sakura will say, what she will do. Akane knows what happened here, and in knowing, lied on the official report.  


"Seppun-san."

Sakura turns, removing her blindfold and neatly folding it up- tucking it casually into her sleeve, Sakura opens her eyes, letting the clouded orbs point towards Akane. "I regret this, but I must ask you why you lied on your report of Otomo-sama's death."  


Seppun Akane tenses up at that, then relaxes... in the calm, easy manner of a duelist.

"I did nothing of the kind, Magistrate-san," she says politely, "And I am insulted you would claim otherwise."  


She is, of course, lying  


Sakura smiles, sadly. "Your heart tells me otherwise."  


Her scabbard returns to its obi, blade facing upwards. "If you truly wish to take this course, however, it is your right to do so. We shall duel in the garden."  


Akane pauses at this, and Sakura can almost feel the way she studies the magistrate - her stance, her sword, the _mon_ on her kimono. "I am of course willing to defend my honour, Magistrate-sama, but... is it necessary? I have given my testimony already. What do you have that would invalidate it?"  


"The desk is out of place- Otomo-sama fell, knocking it out of its proper place. Something that would be impossible if he committed seppuku, since that is done kneeling. The bloodstain is in the wrong position, and is not shaped correctly. And the box with the koku- it is fairly obvious that someone stole from it after Otomo-sama's death, and left the single koku to try to obscure the fact. To an experienced investigator, the room still bears the marks of his murder- and you cannot _possibly_ have missed that fact upon finding his body, Seppun-san."

Sakura smiles. "And... I hear very well. When I said your heart tells me otherwise, I did not speak metaphorically."  


"My word against yours, then," Seppun Akane says with a sigh, "the garden, then."

She turns and begins walking away. Yuzuki shifts her weight slightly, but says nothing. She knows how important a duel is to the Kakita.  


Sakura nods, smiling gratefully towards Yuzuki as she walks, and following Akane to the garden.  


She hears a faint sound of exclamation from the gardener - an old man, it sounds like - as she leaves the house, but he scurries off to one side without a proper word. There is a small patch of grass in the centre of the garden, surrounded by what smells like a wonderful arrangement of flowers, and Seppun Akane stands in the middle.  


Sakura takes a moment to admire the scent, before she stands on the other side, facing Akane.  


"To the death, then?" She says with quiet detachment, "Given what you are accusing me of..."  


"To first blood would be my preference, Seppun-san. To be direct, I do not wish you dead until I know whether you are the only one responsible, or whether others must be investigated as well."  


There is a faint rustle as Akane tilts her head - she's unbound her hair, it seems - and then a quiet note of amusement enters her voice. "Oh, why not."

Then her stance shifts, all nervousness and humour replaced by an air of quiet focus that fills the air like an almost physical thing. The Seppun are known to study the art of Iaijutsu primarily as a means to practice fast-drawing their swords, but it seems Akane has taken that study at least one step beyond - her focus would meet with an approving nod from the harshest of Kakita sensei.  


Sakura's own focus seems to cut the air like a knife herself- as she breathes, quietly, the whole world seems to focus down to one instant. Sakura's focus moves beyond her normal level- the sound of the marketplace is irrelevant, the sound of Yuzuki's heartbeat from where she watches is irrelevant. There is only Seppun Akane. 

Her opponent.  


And Sakura draws almost instantly. The moment is right, she knows it. Her focus almost seems to precede her like a physical thing as she _draws_ , the power running within her veins boosting her speed to brilliant levels- but she doesn't glow, as she did the last time she made such a cut. 

Instead, the raw power simply boosts her beyond what she'd thought possible, Amaterasu's light enabling her to bring justice.  


Akane twists, seeking to unsheath her own blade, to bring it up and deflect the incoming strike...  


But for all her skill, she is no Kakita, and Sakura was an exceptional duelist even _before_ the light of the sun blessed her. 

The edge of Sakura's sword catches her across the arm, a shallow cut that none the less produces a notable wound, the rich scent of blood filling the air.  


"...well," Seppun Akane says, a faint sense of wonder in her voice, "And here I thought I had the measure of the Kakita..."  


Sakura shakes the blood off the sword, before returning it to the sheathe, inclining her head in acceptance of the compliment. "By your stance, you are a quite skilled duelist yourself, Seppun-san. Now. The law demands your execution. But if you confess your crimes, tell me why and if anyone else was involved..."

Sakura pauses. "If you tell me the truth of those things, I will grant you the right to commit seppuku and avoid shame falling upon your family."  


"Hmph. Damn the family," Akane says, returning her sword to its sheathe, and the venom in her voice is surprising, "I was planning on leaving them behind anyway. The thought of going back to my old duties, just like that... no, not for me."  


Sakura looks at her. "Then, at least, you will be able to avoid the personal shame and dishonour this will bring, Seppun Akane. Not to mention that the next person to ask these questions will not be nearly as polite as I."  


"I killed him," The Seppun says at last, sighing, "took his wakizashi and gutted him with it. I don't regret it, either. The man was scum. Bribery, blackmail, trading favours... the things he made me do, because I was sworn to obey him... hah. I hope he rots."

She pauses here, reclaiming her _on_ after that brief bout of emotion.

"My family knew what he was, knew what kind of man would ask for a handsome woman as his bodyguard and exert political pressure to have his wishes appeased, and they sent me to him anyway. I couldn't go back to them, not after what I did. So I took the bribe money he had hidden away, added it to my savings, and started making plans. I was planning to stick around just long enough for the official report on his death to get filed, then walk away. Scrape the _mon_ from my armour, trade silk kimonos for something more practical, sign up with a ronin band and leave town with the next caravan in need of guards. Had it all figured out... and then you showed up."  


Sakura frowns, and nods. "At the very least, Seppun-san, your reason does not make me regret my offer, and I am satisfied in this matter. I will act as your second."  


"You could always just... look the other way?" Akane offers, "Give me ten minutes and I'll be gone. No one will ever find me. I'm not going to become a bandit or anything, just a guard for hire, and... I don't want to die. Not for a man like _him_."  


Sakura doesn't speak for a long moment, and her face is carefully neutral when she does. "...honour, Seppun-san, is what separates us from those outside Rokugan. Even more importantly, is separates us from that which threatens us every day. There are some circumstances where there is no honourable way out... but that is what the three cuts are for. And even were I to look the other way... my ears cannot be closed to what you have done. I can offer my sympathy, but I cannot let you go."  


"I didn't think so," Seppun Akane says with a sigh, "but it was worth a shot."

Without further ceremony she kneels on the ground, setting her katana to one side and drawing her wakizashi in its place. She hesitates there, for a long moment, until Sakura begins to think she might not go through with it at all... and then she slams the short blade home, filling the garden with the scent of blood and broken meat.  


Sakura draws her sword, preparing- and then, as she hears Akane's heartbeat start to race, the prelude to her face contorting with pain or her first cry of pain, Sakura swings the blade down.  


She is silent for a long moment.  


"Yuzuki, are you there?"  


"I am," her lover says, moving away from her position by the door, "are you..."

Her voice trails off, not quite able to express what she thinks. 

Sakura removes a white cloth from her sleeve, wiping the blood off the blade- almost automatically. "I... don't know right now. We need to inform your commander, and..."

A hand rises up to her face, feeling her expression- still smooth. Barely. "I don't think I could have stayed my blade were I in her position."  


"Maybe not," Yuzuki says softly, "the most you can do is hope it never comes to that. For now... I'll take a report to Bayushi-sama. Go back to the Jade Dragon and rest. I'll come and join you later."  


"Thank you, Yuzuki."  


-/- **Later, in the Jade Dragon** -/-

Ichiro is an excellent host, more than used to accomodating samurai under some emotional strain. He says nothing as Sakura returns to her room, but shortly thereafter his daughter is sent up with a pot of his finest tea.  


Sakura nods gratefully, and is soon sipping the tea, seated at her table- and it calms her nerves... somewhat. 

Not completely.  


That... will probably take a while.  


In total, it takes Yuzuki just shy of an hour to make her report, attend to the body and return to the Dragon. When she enters it is with a notable lighter tread, her armour left behind at the barracks.

"That was a difficult choice, Sakura, but also the right one," she says softly, kneeling at Sakura's side.  


"I know that... but it will take time for my heart to fully agree, I think." Sakura's hand reaches out, her hand seeking Yuzuki's to hold it gently, their fingers intertwined. "You being here... will help with that. It always has, for us."  


"You are one of the strongest women I know, Sakura, but even the strongest soul can grow weary if allowed to dwell on such things," Yuzuki replies, her voice soft, her calloused hands warm in Sakura's, "As it is... I have the rest of the evening free, and you look like you could use help forgetting everything outside these walls, at least for a little while..."  


"You know... I think I could." Sakura smiles slightly, her head turning towards Yuzuki.  


Her lover leans in, meeting Sakura's lips with her own. The kiss is soft and sweet, lingering for longer than she can reliably tell.

"Then relax, Sakura," Yuzuki says in a low voice, one hand already playing with the bow of Sakura's kimono, "and enjoy yourself. I have a few ideas I've been wanting to try as it is..."  


"Oh?" Sakura smiles, raising her arms up slightly so Yuzuki can more easily undo her kimono...  


There was a time when Yuzuki's impatience made her a poor hand with ropework, her will giving way long before the last knot was tied. Practice, however, makes perfect, and aside from some elevated breathing and the thunder of her heart there is no sign that Yuzuki is anything but perfectly composed as she strips her lover bare and binds her in silken cords. The design is indeed a new one, something she evidently picked up in their time apart.

From there, the evening is one of pleasure and reassurance, the thrill of gentle touches and the comfort of a loved one's embrace. The focus is on Sakura alone, at least at first, and it isn't until much later that Yuzuki removes her own clothes and permits her lover to return her affections. 

Eventually, however, fatigue takes over, and the two lovers fall into slumber in one another's arms.  


The next morning, Sakura wakes, sleepily, her nude body close to her lover in a gentle embrace- and now, Sakura lets her hands drift a little as she waits for Yuzuki to wake, smiling happily as she traces some of the many scars Yuzuki's picked up over the years.  


"Mm... stop tha', it tickles..." Yuzuki murmurs sleepily, one arm pinned under Sakura's body.  


Sakura giggles, kissing Yuzuki gently on the cheek. "Time to wake up, Yuzuki- we do need to get going soon..."  


"Aw... but it's so nice here..." Yuzuki says with some amusement, rolling over and all but straddling the Crane. Her hair brushes against Sakura's face as she leans in and plants a small kiss on the edge of her lover's jaw. "Nothing quite like waking in the arms of a beautiful woman... hmm, and last night was _amazing_..."  


"Mmmmmm..." Sakura doesn't mind being somewhat pinned under Yuzuki one bit, even as she continues tracing a few scars, "well, I can tell when we're all alone and have some time together unnoticed soon enough..."

She tilts her head slightly, as her fingers brush up against... "Hrm... this scar's new, Yuzuki. How did you get it?"  


"Arrow, I think?" Yuzuki says thoughtfully, breaking off from the kiss to glance down at her scar, "Yeah, arrow. From a bandit sentry. The armour stopped most of it, but it still broke the skin."  


"Hrmmm... I like it, it adds a bit more character." Sakura smiles up at her lover. "You know, if you want to spend a bit more time together before we depart, I suppose it's not urgent that we leave _now_..."  



	5. Daughters of the Sun

**Two Weeks Later**

Omoidasu Province is technically, as Sakura understands it, under the ownership of the Phoenix Clan. The peasants she and Yuzuki have spoken with have all confirmed this, of course, but aside from an small patrol on the road two days ago they have yet to actually encounter the Clan's actual samurai anywhere. Perhaps this is to be expected; the majority of this land is dominated by the Mountains of Regret, and there is no missing how the travel has gotten more difficult of late just approaching the foothills.

They are currently in a small village at the base of the mountain range, having stopped there for a night to refill their provisions and secure a map of the route ahead. Yuzuki apparently has a gift for such things, and now they are loading up their steeds and making reading for the next leg of the journey.

"Apparently there's only one way into Centipede lands from here," the Unicorn samurai says briskly, tightening one of the straps on Raiko's saddle, "and that's through something that the maps call 'Treacherous Pass'."

The past two weeks have been... pleasant, in truth. Being with Yuzuki on a journey like this has given the two a lot of time together. Both to talk and... other things.

And Sakura, of late, has found that at times she's been able to enhance her sense of smell and taste much like that of her hearing. Her powers truly aren't just static- they're growing.

"A rather ominous name... it might be worth checking with the villagers whether there's any specific danger, or whether it's just generally known for being a dangerous route."

"Apparently there's monsters up there, sometimes," Yuzuki says, satisfying herself with her work and patting Raiko lightly on the flank. The Utaku Steed snorts in response. "Or wild animals. Or bandits. Or angry spirits. Normally I wouldn't go anywhere near the place, but the only other way in apparently takes us all the way around the mountains through the rest of the Phoenix lands, which would take at least a month. The Centipede seem to value their privacy."

"And while this is important, there's a limit to how much time we can take before having to explain more than I want to before knowing all the facts of this myself." Sakura nods, tying her blindfold around her eyes- while she knows Yuzuki doesn't mind her eyes, the blindfold _does_ have more practical uses as well.

"It likely allows them to dedicate themselves to worship of Amaterasu, rather than having to pay attention to the politics of the Empire as a whole. The Minor clans are protected by Imperial decree, but that is not an absolute ban, after all."

"Piety _would_ explain it," Yuzuki acknowledges, leaping up into her saddle with a slight grunt. "Anyway, looking at the maps, it looks like maybe a two day journey? We might be able to make it in one, but I'd rather not risk pressing on in low light and having Raiko break a leg."

Her horse _whinnies_ slightly at that, as if to say 'certainly not'.

Sakura giggles softly. "Don't worry, Raiko, we're not going to press that hard. I _think_ I can detect danger even while I'm asleep now, so I'm not overly concerned about spending a night in the pass. And if there is danger... well, we've dealt with such before, haven't we, Yuzuki?"

"Oh, yes," Yuzuki says softly, with what Sakura knows from experience is probably a smile on her face, "anyway, let's get going. The pass _should_ be free of ice by now, winter ended long enough ago, but the days aren't very long yet."

Raiko snorts at that and begins to walk, needing no guidance from Yuzuki as her hooves clop against the stone path underfoot. Distantly Sakura hears the excited muttering of the peasants as they watch the pair depart; the presence of samurai is a rare thing, here, one well worth talking about.

Sakura clucks her tongue, and her own horse- well-trained by this point- starts to follow Raiko, whinnying gently. Not as smart as Raiko, of course, but accustomed to following another horse by now.

Together, the two samurai-ko head out of the village and up towards the mountains. The air here has a cool, crisp quality, and even long after dawn has come and gone clumps of mist and dew still cling to the shadowed portions of the world.

Sakura sniffs the air a few times, testing out her newly enhanced sense of smell.

The steady clop of their horses' hooves is the only reliable measure of passing time, and the echoes of their sound tell her of the land around them. Walls of stone, formed by the fortunes themselves, rising ever-higher into the sky. The air is thick with the scent of pine and moss, the signs of small forests that cling tenaciously to the rocky slopes.

"Say, Yuzuki? What does the pass look like to you?"

"I don't even think I'd call it a pass, normally," Yuzuki replies, after they've been riding for a couple of hours, "it looks... kind of like an ugly scar, I guess? The sort you'd get from a rusted blade, long ago. All knotted and broken."

Sakura frowns. "Urgh, right. I suppose there's a lot of hiding places if one were to lie in ambush too?" 

"Almost certainly. You can hear it, can't you? The echoes."

Indeed, now that Yuzuki mentions it Sakura finds it easy to tell what she means. The echoes from Raiko's hooves paint a picture in the Crane's mind of a broad slope to their right, rising swiftly, while to the left they drop away rapidly in what is probably some kind of crevice... but the work is shoddy, the brush-strokes erratic. Details are distorted and obscured, the echoes broken and scattered by protruding rocks and hidden gaps in what should be solid ground, until all that is left is a solid mess.

"I can, but the way the terrain is shaped makes it hard to build a clear picture- the ground is nowhere near solid, and that breaks the echoes up. Amaterasu's gifts help, maybe enough to hear anyone before they attack, but I can't be certain."

"I suppose we'll just both have to be as alert as possible as we travel through this pass."

"Mm. Well, I've got Raiko watching out for me," Yuzuki says fondly, saddle creaking slightly as she reaches down to pat her mare affectionately, "and you, of course."

Sakura smiles fondly. "Of course."

As they continue riding, Sakura falls silent, instead keeping her head tilted slightly to better pick up sound, and moving it around- the broken-up echoes make it more difficult to detect exactly _where_ trouble might come from, but Sakura doesn't have to do that, exactly- instead, she simply focuses on hearing anything out of the ordinary, and once she identifies such a sound, she focuses on locating the direction of that sound. After the first hour, she asks Yuzuki to take the reins of her horse so she can focus her attention fully on her task.

As expected, their journey through the Treacherous Pass does not conclude without incident.

It is the broken ground that gives Sakura the first clue - the echoes distort in a way that tells of a particularly shattered and loose section of rock on the slope up ahead, perhaps a scree slope or a collection of smaller boulders. There is some kind of small cavern behind the broken ground, and on the wind she can hear a faint grunting sound, as something very large mutters commands in a strange language and is answered by a pair of high-pitching cackles.

There is an ambush being prepared up ahead, as soon as they move between the loose rocks and the sheer drop on the other side of the path.

"Ambush. They don't quite sound human, and they certainly aren't speaking Rokugani."

"Hrm... it sounds like they plan to push us into a ravine with a rockslide?"

"Where would they... no, wait, I see it," Yuzuki says grimly, her voice pitched low, "Yeah, there's a bunch of loose rock up ahead. They must be just on the other side. Getting up there might be awkward, but it should be doable... of course, the second we change course they'll know we've spotted them."

"My immediate thought is 'let them'. Hrm... Could Raiko make the climb with both of us on her back?"

"My horse is a fine one, but if the climb is as you say, I certainly don't think any but a Unicorn steed could make it."

"Hmm... what do you think, girl?" Yuzuki murmurs. Her horse seems to consider this for a moment, then snorts once. "Raiko says yes. You're not _that_ heavy, apparently."

Sakura smiles, reaching over to affectionately pat Raiko's mane. "All right. In that case, I hop behind you and hang on tight while Raiko gets us up there quickly. There's something very large there- I think the gifts I've been given will be enough, however. I heard two voices laughing, but I cannot tell if there are more."

Her head turns towards Yuzuki. "Ready?"

Sakura gets the impression that Yuzuki is smiling. "Ready."

Sakura smiles back, an instant before she makes the leap over- with casual ease, she transfers herself from her own horse over to Raiko, sitting just behind Yuzuki, and slips her arms around the Unicorn's waist, trusting Yuzuki's horsemanship and Raiko absolutely.

"Yah!" Yuzuki cries, and with an echoing cry Raiko leaps forwards, hooves scraping against the stone as she pulls off the path and begins heading up the slope directly towards the source of the sounds. 

There is a brief pause, and then the enemy _roars_.

With loud, thudding steps, something shaped like a human- but _significantly_ larger pushes its way out of the small cave where it was hiding, filling the air with the stench of carrion and... something else, something at once sickly sweet and outright nauseating. At its flanks come a pair of smaller foes, likewise humanoid but... bent, twisted, like malformed children capering madly at their parent's feet.

"An ogre!" Yuzuki cries, "Hah! Now this will be a fight worth having!"

"And goblins on the flanks, yes? Leave the ogre to me, at least for now! You charge them down as well as you can!"

There's excitment in Sakura's voice, as she tilts her head, listening for... there. A flat spot. She trusts Yuzuki to slow down enough for her to dismount, and once she does, Sakura almost leaps off Raiko's back, her sandals skidding to a halt as she lands perfectly. Her focus is almost entirely on the ogre, with thought spared for the goblins enough to keep track of them. 

And, as she lets the fire run through her veins, a golden sunburst flares to life on her forehead.

"Got it!" Yuzuki cries, drawing her sword with the ring of steel, "Come, Raiko! Charge!"

The Utaku Battle Maidens are the finest cavalry force in the Empire, and this is an excellent demonstration of why. No one else would even think of using mounted troops on such rough and slanted terrain, let alone charging an ogre and its pet monsters so fearlessly, but Yuzuki doesn't hesitate. She thunders across the mountain slope and delivers a brutal, hacking cut to the first goblin with all the weight of her charge behind it.

And she _moves_ , outpacing even Raiko for this short moment. She doesn't strike- not with her unsheathed blade, not just yet- but the _sheathe_ lashes out, a hard metal cap on the end striking at vital points and unbalancing it. She'd heard of some Lion who did this when they refused to sully their blade, but in Sakura's case, her reason is more... practical. She just intends to soften the Ogre up a little bit for her strike.

The ogre growls, bringing around... is he carrying part of a wagon in his hand? It certainly sounds like it, from the dull thudding noise it makes as the beast defends itself from Sakura's strikes.

There is a spray of blood as Yuzuki's strike bites deep, and the goblin yowls in distress

In response, the Ogre simply laughs, a dull rumbling noise of cruelty and spite.

"Gonna eat you, little samurai," it says in broken Rokugani, "Going to cut out your guts and fuck your corpse!"

The massive weapon in its other hand sounds like nothing more than an actual tree trunk, brutally whittled down into something approximately the same design as a tetsubo. It howls as the ogre swings it through the air, aiming to knock Sakura clear down the mountainside.

"How _crude_."

Sakura's sheathe comes up, and for a moment she thinks _this is crazy_ \- but Amaterasu's power flows through her veins as she brings her still-sheathed sword up in a two-handed grip, roaring in defiance as she tries to _push_ the tetsubo upwards and over her head- and, as she does so, she focuses on the Ogre, looking for any weak points opened up in its defence by the blow...

The Ogre is a creature of brutal, _monstrous_ strength, far beyond that of any human... and yet, in that moment, with the fire of Amaterasu burning in Sakura's veins... in that moment, she is _stronger_. The club rebounds from the sheathed blade, and the Ogre staggers as though he had just struck the mountain itself.

"What..."

Nearby, Sakura hears the first goblin scampering away, the air thick with the stench of its blood as it tries to escape the Battle Maiden who wounded it so grievously. Yuzuki lets it go, focusing her attention instead on the second goblin, which comes shrieking towards her with razor claws slashing wildly.

Raiko rears back, and were this anywhere else the move would have avoided the attack, but... Yuzuki is not used to fighting on a mountainside, and Sakura can hear she is in trouble, trying to defend herself as best she can from the scuttling menace.

With a shriek, the goblin throws itself up through the air, attempting to latch onto Yuzuki's armour and pull her out of the saddle. The Unicorn rallies valiantly, bringing her sword around to fend the little beast off.

Her language is _not_ appropriate for a proper samurai.

Fortunately, her skill is up to the task, and the goblin is denied a grip and sent tumbling back down to the mountainside.

Sakura breathes an inward sigh of relief, but her focus is on the Ogre- and as she rushes forwards, she draws the sword from its sheathe, cutting forwards as her posture changes slightly- and she aims for the ogre's legs, ducking under it deftly. "You, monster, have attacked your last traveller today."

The Ogre shifts backwards at the last moment, avoiding a vicious cut to its leg, but the movement was hasty and leave it off balance. Still it continues pressing the attack, swinging its great club around in an overhead motion that seeks to force her backwards.

Sakura flicks her scabbard up to deflect the blow again, aiming to let it crash down to her side as she focuses on the Ogre, her focus almost seeming to peer right through it- an impressive feat for once blindfolded and blind.

The blow is sent astray once again, the sickly sweet stench of corruption clinging to Sakura like a physical thing. Beyond the Ogre, Yuzuki rallies with an angry shout, apparently offended to have been put at such a disadvantage by an opponent such as this. She wheels Raiko about, sending deep hacking blows down at the goblin that scampers around her feet.

Sakura's focus is laser-tight as the fires of Amaterasu's power flows through her veins. The ogre is a big, stupid creature- but that doesn't mean it's harmless. She's done very well for herself so far by deflecting its blows... but time to up the pressure on it, and prepare for a final strike. 

Her next blows come as a multitude of smaller strikes, each one cutting shallowly, harassing the ogre and forcing it onto the defensive. "How many have you attacked on this road to where the priestesses of Lady Sun reside? No more, monster. Today, the Emperor's justice and Heaven's justice come for you, _and I am their instrument_!"

Growling, the Ogre sinks back into a defensive stance, raising its crude shield up as best it can.

"The light... what is that light..." it mutters

The goblin fighting Yuzuki looks over at those words, and the rapid patter of its feet ceases for a moment. Then it snarls something and turns to flee, evading a last slash from Yuzuki and skittering away towards the cave from which it first emerged.

"Hiyah!" Yuzuki yells, nudging Raiko into motion... but not, as Sakura might have thought, to chase down the goblin. Instead she slices past the Ogre's back, her blade catching the monster across the edge of its skull and causing it to stagger.

Growling, the Ogre shuffles its feet, holding the crude wooden shield up in a protective measure as it seeks to disengage from the battle. The attempt is futile, though, for between Sakura's blade and Yuzuki's steed it has nowhere to go.

And Sakura advances. The goblins are nothing- they can be hunted down at any time. The _ogre_ , on the other hand... that would continue to be a threat, even if it escaped today. It would continue to prey on any travelling this road.

So, it ends today. Sakura runs up the shield, her every step certain. "That light is the announcement of your death."

And, as she _jumps_ , she brings her sword down, aiming to impale the ogre's brain with four feet of cold steel.

The katana bites deep, slicing through the Ogre's face and lodging deep in the neck beneath... but what would slay a mortal is but a minor if painful wound to a monster such as this, and for a moment Sakura fears she might have failed...

And then Yuzuki joins her, wheeling her horse around and leaning out in her saddle to slice the creature across its exposed guts, spilling blood and viscera onto the mountain stone.

There is a pause... and then, like a tree felled by loggers, the Ogre topples to the ground. Sakura could almost swear the mountain itself shakes under the force of the impact.

Sakura pulls out her blade as it falls, and manages to hop off as it crumples.

"Hah!" Yuzuki cries exultantly, "Now _that_ was a fight!"

Sakura grins up at her, a broad smile on her face as she wipes the blood of the ogre off her sword. "Yes, it was. It's good to work together with you again like this, apart from anything else."

She pauses. "I'm glowing right now, from what the ogre said?"

"Like a lantern," Yuzuki says with a chuckle, "It's... well. If I was an artist... anyway, best step away from the body. It might be tainted. I think I have enough oil to burn it..."

"One wonders if I even _can_ contract the taint now, but best not to risk it." Sakura steps away, moving next to Yuzuki as she drops the now bloodstained cloth on top of the ogre's body and sheathes her sword.

Together, the two samurai-ko clean their equipment and set about burning the body of the ogre as best they can. Then they set off.

In the end the pass does force them to camp for the night rather than making the run in a single day, but that was to be expected, and the Unicorn are well used to such things. Sakura enjoys a comfortable night in her lover's arms, then set off again in the morning. Shortly before noon, they reach the Valley of the Centipede.

The difference is... remarkable. The way Yuzuki's breath catches in her throat tells Sakura that the sight is spectacular, but even blind as the Crane is the change is impossible to miss. The mountains drop away, the scent of grass fills the air, and the light of the sun warms her face. She can hear the chirping of insects, the burbling of a stream... and, closer still, the steady pace of someone in armour approaching her from the valley up ahead.

Sakura tilts her head for a moment, trying to judge the distance to whoever's approaching as she dismounts to wait for them.

The steps are light, energetic... the pace of a young girl, it seems, and judging by Yuzuki's murmured commentary Sakura would place her as a young samurai-ko, fresh from her gempukku. She draws to within a dozen paces and then stops, long hair swishing through the air as she bows.

"Welcome to the Valley of the Centipede, Kakita-sama, Utaku-sama," she says in a light voice, "We have been expecting you."

Sakura had thought little would surprise her, but somehow that did. "I was not aware we had been expected, Moshi-san."

There's just a _hint_ of a question of how they'd been expected in there.

"I cannot say for how, Kakita-sama, but Moshi Jukio-dono commanded that I stand watch here and welcome the Crane samurai when she came," the young woman says with an almost audible shrug, "I had assumed a letter or something had been sent on ahead. In any case, I am to invite you to the Temple of Lady Sun, where Moshi-dono awaits you in person."

"Of course, Moshi-san." Sakura doesn't react overly much- although had she had vision, she might have traded glances with Yuzuki or the like- but instead, she simply mounts her horse again. "Lead the way."

"It's not far. Please, follow me," the young Moshi says, turning around and heading back down the path towards the valley proper. "We don't get many visitors here. Was your journey a pleasant one?"

"There was some trouble in the pass, but we were able to deal with it- apart from that, quite pleasant, yes."

"I'm glad," The Centipede samurai says with an audible smile.

The walk to the temple passes swiftly, and less than half an hour later they are on the approach. The sound of the breeze tells Sakura there is a large structure ahead, built at the foot of a mountain, but what really strikes her is the sense of... warmth.

The temple, and indeed the surrounding area, feels like it is infused with the same gentle heat that she can feel in her heart even now.

Sakura breathes in. "There's something about the land here... it feels almost like it's directly blessed by the Lady Sun?"

"It is, yes," The Moshi leading them says with evident pride, "This is the Mountain of the Sun Goddess, where our ancestor, Isawa Moshi, was granted a vision by Lady Sun and the Centipede Clan were born. Well, the vision itself was granted to her at the top of the mountain, but we could hardly build the actual temple up there - there was no room!"

Sakura smiles slightly, both at the reassurance of the warmth and from the obvious youthful enthusiasm of the samurai-ko.

There does not seem to be any kind of wall around the temple, but there _is_ a flight of stone steps that leads up to the main gate. Their guide bows briefly before heading in, marking the gate as a torii arch, and together Sakura and Yuzuki proceed into the courtyard beyond.

The air here hums with light and life; everywhere Sakura can smell fresh-cut wood and fragrant blossoms, and the halls and outer buildings are filled with shuffling feet as the samurai of the Centipede go about their day. Sakura bows respectfully. before entering.

"Moshi-dono commanded that I bring Kakita-sama directly to her upon arrival," the guide says hesitantly, "but... she said nothing about you, Utaku-sama. If it pleases you, might we offer you some rice, and a place to rest after your journey."

Yuzuki seems to hesitate slightly at this.

Sakura smiles. "I trust Utaku-san absolutely in the matter we will be speaking of, Moshi-san. If Moshi-dono truly wishes for only me and her to speak, she may command it and we will comply, but I might ask that Utaku-san accompany me for now."

"...very well then, Kakita-sama," their guide says, nodding. "Please, follow me. Moshi-dono has her quarters on the top floor of the temple."

Together, the three of them enter the Temple of Lady Sun. The hallways here are quiet and sparsely decorated, and the air is filled with the faint echo of prayer. It seems this is also where the Centipede train their shugenja. Sakura and Yuzuki provoke a handful of whispered comments as their guide leads them up the stairs to the top floor of the building, but for whatever reason no one seems willing to stop or even question them.

Eventually, their guide stops outside what appears to be a large room. The door is open, but she raps softly on the wooden frame regardless.

"Mama? I've brought the visitors," their guide calls out in a soft voice.

Inside the room, someone stirs, a kimono of silk swishing slightly as she turns to face them.

Sakura bows respectfully to the Daimyo of the Centipede

"Ah, good," Moshi Jukio is evidently a woman well advanced in years, if the croak of her voice is any indication. "I've been waiting for you. Come in, girl, let me look at you."

Sakura tilts her head as she enters, moving closer to Moshi Jukio. "You were expecting me, Moshi-dono?"

"Hmm, yes, I have," Moshi Jukio says in a thoughtful tone, "I had a vision, you see, and... ah, Wakiza-chan, please take Utaku-san back down and give her something to eat. I have matters to discuss with Kakita-sama, matters that demand privacy."

"I do trust Utaku-san, but if you insist, Moshi-dono, I will abide by your wishes as your guest."

Sakura does not miss that a _Clan Champion_ is calling her Kakita-sama, however, even if only Champion of a Minor Clan.

"It's naught to do with trust, I'm afraid, just... well, you'll see soon enough. Or not, as the case may be. Hmm." There is a faint rap of wood on the floor as Moshi Jukio approaches, some kind of walking stick perhaps, and behind Sakura the younger Centipede bows low and leads Yuzuki politely away. "Blind, is it? Hmm. I would not have expected that, but... well, Lady Sun has her reasons, no doubt."

"I trust that she does, yes." Sakura removes her blindfold, blinking a few times. "I may assume, from your words, that you have a good idea of how Lady Sun has blessed me, then?"

"I have a good idea, yes, but... well, the Heavens have never been entirely _explicit_ about such things," The Daimyo says thoughtfully, "Why don't you tell me why you're here, Kakita-sama? Looking at these matters from every angle can help a great deal."

Sakura sits, and then... she starts to explain. In detail, she goes over the circumstances of her blessing, the benefits it has given her so far- increased senses, increased skill with the blade, the ability to more accurately determine when someone is lying. 

"And so, at the advice of the abbess, I came here, to see if you could tell me more about what has happened to me- and why it has happened."

"I see..." Moshi Jukio says, and for a moment she almost seems hesitant, "This light you mentioned... show it to me?"

"I only seem to be able to make it appear when I use my powers... although..."

Sakura tilts her head for a moment. Now she thinks about it... with a trickle of power, the symbol Yuzuki mentioned and the peasants mentioned appears on her forehead. "These powers seem to come to me by instinct at times."

Moshi Jukio murmurs something that sounds something like a prayer -Sakura remembers Kasumi saying similar things when she wanted to commune with the kami. There is a brief pause, and then the Moshi daimyo sits back with a satisfied sigh.

Sakura tilts her head, waiting for Jukio to continue.

"It _is_ you... my oh my, this is quite a conundrum..." The Daimyo says slowly, "You have her fire, Kakita-sama, her light. Unless I miss my guess entirely, Lady Sun reached down from Tengoku and gave you a piece of her own soul."

"She did _what_."

Sakura's _on_ breaks completely, naked shock on her face in a way it didn't even when the Peasants first called her 'Lady Sun'.

"You heard me, girl," the old woman says sharply, "I can feel it in you, and if there is anyone better suited to identify such a thing in Rokugan I have yet to meet them. Your soul is still your own, but now it has been... grafted, I suppose, as one would a flower or a tree. It is quite unprecedented."

"I... forgive me, I did not know this was even possible. Have you any idea _why_ the Lady Sun might do this?"

"Because it has made you strong, and soon enough Rokugan will need that strength," The Daimyo says with a sigh, "I told you I had a vision, yes? Lady Sun showed me a world under threat, a Rokugan on the brink of being swallowed by darkness. Something horrible is coming, and it might yet destroy us all. She cannot intervene directly, but she _can_ assist, and to that end she is sending aid. She told me that she would send to us her sword, to stand against the coming night."

The daimyo chuckles faintly. "That, it seems, is you. Kakita-sama, it would appear that Lady Sun has chosen you to be her Sword."

Sakura breathes in. "In that case, Moshi-dono, it seems I must live up to the task the Lady Sun has given me."

"Oh yes. And I, as her priestess, must assist you as best I may." The Daimyo shakes her head slowly. "This is... quite a challenge, I must admit. For her to choose you..."

"Then the need must be pressing, yes."

Sakura pauses for a moment. "One matter I would ask your advice on is how far I should spread this news, if at all at the present time. I have held off on informing the Emerald Champion's office until I knew more, and now I do... this would be a major revelation for Rokugan."

Sakura knows full well, after all, that this would make her... a religious icon is the least of it, frankly.

"An understatement, if anything," Jukio says with a faint snort, "think about it, Kakita-sama. Lady Amaterasu, the mother of the kami who founded the Empire, sees the realm of her children under threat. She reaches down and chooses from among the people a champion, someone worthy to bear a fragment of her own divinity, someone to push the darkness back."

"She chooses her Sword... and she _does not choose a Hantei_."

Sakura sucks her breath in, as she realises Jukio's meaning. "People will take it as a sign that she has lost faith in the Imperial Families."

"There would be calls for the Hantei to step down, most likely. The Lion and Crab would... object."

Sakura frowns. "While I can use my powers to a degree without exposure of them to others, i can only go so far before my powers- and the nature of them- becomes increasingly apparent. If I use them in my duties, it is possible that I might reveal them in a situation that is... uncontrolled."

"A Kakita on the throne? Half the Matsu would fall upon their blades at the very idea. The other half would declare war," Jukio says with a sigh. "And yet, the Sun cannot hide in darkness forever. It is simply not possible, especially if you are to serve as some kind of champion. The challenge, then, is one of politics. We must arrange matters so that when the time comes and the matter is made public and official the people are united behind you, not divided. Otherwise Rokugan will fracture, and the enemy will find us easy prey."

Sakura nods slowly. "Indeed, Moshi-dono. I do not think Lady Sun means that by her choice, she has lost faith in the Hantei as rulers. Perhaps coupling the revelation with a... declaration to that effect?"

"Such matters will take time to properly consider. Fortunately, we have the time," Moshi Jukio chuckles faintly, "After all, the Sword of Amaterasu cannot be allowed to set forth on her journey without a proper understanding of the... theological implications of such a title. You will stay here, as my guest, and I will teach you all I know of Lady Sun. Then, when you are ready, we will start work on introducing you to the rest of Rokugan."

Sakura nods. "Very well."


	6. Sword of Heaven

In the end, Sakura and Yuzuki spend several weeks in the Valley of the Centipede. The Moshi champion is good to her word, providing the two private lodgings within a few minutes walk of the Temple of the Sun, and detaching several of the Clan's limited number of servants to attend to their needs. Yuzuki was originally to be given similar lodgings nearby, but at the champion's direct command she was given permission to share the same accommodation as Sakura.

That command actually catches Sakura off-guard, although she does a fairly good job of concealing it when she hears.

Every day, the Moshi wake before the dawn and greet the coming of Amaterasu with song and prayer. The sound of their reverence echoes from the mountain stone, and together with the gentle warmth of the dawn's light creates an experience unlike anything else to be found in the Empire. Only then, with the morning prayers attended to, do the lessons begin.

Moshi Jukio is an excellent teacher with decades of experience at her back, and under her guiding hand Sakura swiftly learns... well, not quite _all_ she has to teach, for that would take years of dedicated learning at the least, but certainly far more than Sakura's own school ever saw fit to impart. 

She learns the names of the kami, their origin and abilities, the correct ways to offer reverence and the philosophical significance of the most common rituals performed by the priests. Indeed, it does not take her long to realise that the training Moshi Jukio is providing her with is more appropriate to a _shugenja_ than anyone else, and when the lessons on how to speak the kami's language begins there is no longer any denying that fundamental nature.

To teach someone outside the priestly orders the secrets of the Shugenja would likely draw all manner of trouble down upon the Centipede, but Moshi Jukio does not seem to care.

Sakura applies herself to the lessons with vigour, dutiful study and care. It often leaves her exhausted- her new abilities don't bolster her _that_ much just yet, and she doesn't seem to have a talent for these arts the way she does the sword or matters of the court, but she does learn.

And learn she does, if in... unconventional ways. Meditation, contemplation, the endless recital of prayers and invocations to the kami... for over a week she practices these skills, no matter how irrelevant they might seem, until one day they bear fruit.

It comes when Sakura is meditating in one of the Moshi's smaller shrines, practising the words of the divine language that she has been taught. A chorus of giggling voices joins her own, echoing her words with approval and derision in turn. At first she thinks it might be children, some of the Clan's younger students come to gawk at this strange newcomer from beyond the mountains, but no.

She is hearing the voice of the wind.

Sakura's head jerks up, and her words cut off, purest shock on her face. How... how was that possible? She _knew_ she wasn't a shugenja... and she hadn't been able to hear the spirits before, when she was first gifted with this power, so why now?

"Ah," Moshi Jukio says, her voice filled with a certain satisfaction - so distracted was Sakura by prayer and subsequent revelation that she had hardly even noticed the Champion's approach - from the doorway, "I thought so. You can hear them, then?"

"N-now, yes... but not before. It seems almost as if..."

Sakura recovers from her shock and presses her lips together, thinking- and reaching into herself, she finds another clue. "These gifts did not grant me the ability to hear the kami, but they seem to have granted me the ability to _learn_ to hear them. Or to learn to use Amaterasu's power to hear them, for I feel a small amount of the power within me has been spent."

"Yes, that makes sense," the Champion says thoughtfully, "You are not shugenja, and cannot simply see or hear the spirits as I do, but you have a part of the sun's own light in your soul. I had theorised that this might allow you to perceive the spirits as they perceive each other, and this seems to confirm it; you are not, in truth, entirely mortal any longer."

The last statement brings Sakura up short, and her head turns towards Jukio, her expression unreadable. "You believe my lifespan has been extended, Moshi-sama?"

"I believe your life will be _different_ now, Kakita-sama," Moshi Jukio responds sharply, "but we already knew this. Perhaps you will live longer, having partaken of some small part of our Lady's immortality. Perhaps you will die younger, as the last of your life is burned out by a fire no mortal frame was ever built to contain. I cannot say with confidence either way."

Sakura nods slowly. "Of course."

She pauses, frowning softly, as she considers what to ask next. "There would be an argument, due to this, that I should hold myself separate from certain expectations held of most samurai, would there not?"

"Kakita-sama, you are something this Empire has never seen before," Moshi Jukio says with an amused chuckle, "Likely they will create whole new fields of etiquette to govern your behaviour, and that of anyone who would speak with or serve you. Still, if you speak of something specific..."

Sakura looks _flustered_ for a moment. "Marriage, in particular."

"Ah," Jukio says softly, her tone thoughtful, "I see. Marriage has always been a source of both stability and strife for this Empire, and I have lost count of the number of young samurai I have seen who greet the prospect with fear and uncertainty. It is a tool of the Clans, a way by which family lines may be joined and alliances forged between Clans that might otherwise have nothing to do with each other. The question, then, is what purpose _your_ marriage should serve."

Sakura nods. "Indeed. Or even if my gift should exclude me from the normal practice- if my life has been extended, the laws and customs of Rokugan regarding marriage were never meant to deal with a situation of a family matriarch living hundreds of years or more."

She _thinks_ she manages to keep her hopefulness at the idea out of her tone and expression.

Jukio snorts slightly at this. "True, but you'll not get anywhere trying to argue that the rules of tradition and etiquette were clearly not made to apply to you, even if your words were true. For clarity... do you want to marry that _shiotome_ of yours, or just avoid marriage entirely?"

Sakura _definitely_ blushes, now, although her expression does remain otherwise even. But her answer is quick. "If it were possible, the former."

"Why?" Jukio's tone is mild, at least, "The two of you love each other, that much I can clearly see, but love has nothing to do with marriage. Why, then, would you seek to walk this road?"

Sakura takes her time before responding. "Because Amaterasu did not choose one already great and powerful. She chose one of the _buke_ , the daughter of a poet- from a respected line of magistrates, but no more than that. She may intend that I do great things, but I believe quite strongly that She also intends I remember where I was lifted from. Yuzuki is, I think, one of the clearest reminders I can possibly have of that, quite apart from everything else she means to me. And to marry anyone else would create a rift that would weaken that."

"Hmm," Jukio's voice is sceptical, but she does not press, "Well, it's an argument I can see being spoken in the court without instant derision, and I have no particular objection to the idea - men tend to be crude, brutish things at the best of times. Still, my words or yours will not see the rules amended alone. I would recommend visiting the Temple of Benten, and entreating _her_ for some sign of favour. Speaking of which... come with me. There is something I must give you."

Sakura tilts her head as she rises and follows Jukio. "Of course. And I intend to do so... perhaps her guidance will make things clearer, whichever path I take in that area."

She doesn't ask what Jukio has to give her- learning here has certainly taught her _patience_.

Moving at a brisk walk, Jukio leads Sakura back to the Temple of the Sun... and then, not slowing down, through it to the mountain path on the other side. The stone is hard beneath Sakura's feet, and the wind cold against her face as she begins to climb, following the matriarch of the centipede up the winding path.

Sakura takes the sheathe of her sword, tapping it against the path from time to time to be certain of her path as she follows.

"It is almost time for you to leave us," Jukio says as the two walk, "There is more we could teach you, certainly, but I do not think we have the time to spare to teach you all we know. You learn faster than anyone I have ever taught, but it took me my entire life to learn all I do now, and to keep you secluded in this valley for years on end seems... less than ideal."

"Indeed. The knowledge does not come as easily to me as the sword or the arts of the court, either."

Sakura doesn't voice her suspicion, that Amaterasu's gift is meant to build on what someone already _is_ rather than aiding them becoming what they are not. She's grateful for the training, but the difficulty in even hearing the words of the kami confirms to her that she isn't meant to become a Shugenja from these gifts.

"Hm. Interesting," Jukio says thoughtfully, grunting slightly as she tackles a particularly steep part of the slope. For an old lady, she's handling the ascent with remarkable skill. "Still, that confirms what I had thought. You must leave us soon, and find from around the Empire others to guide and accept you; I have no doubt that even venturing between the temples of the Seven Great Fortunes will bring many such opportunities across your path. I have written letters of introduction, but those might not always be enough."

"Indeed. It will be a lot to accept for many." Sakura handles the path easily herself, the fresh air... rather bracing. And, of course, there's the whispers of the kami around her.

"Oh yes. Each Fortune will have some test for you, of this I have no doubt - their favour is not easily gained, and the Empire is, I think, the better for it," Jukio says briskly, sandaled feet scuffing the stone underfoot. "What I must do, then, is give you more than words on paper to present to those who doubt. I must give you something that no one can deny as fake or insufficient, something that will prove to all who know to look that you have... if not the blessing of the Sun, then at the very least the backing of her favoured priests."

Sakura turns her head towards the priestess, frowning behind her blindfold. "Which is what we've come up the mountain for, Moshi-sama?"

"Oh yes," Jukio says with a certain thrill, "The Temple of the Sun at the base is where we perform most of our duties, where we offer most of our prayers, but the most important services must be done at the mountain's peak, where Isawa Moshi first received her vision from Lady Sun... and where we keep that which the Lady gave us in turn."

"...a relic of some sort?"

"Indeed. Bestowed upon us by Lady Sun for... well, until today I would have said safekeeping," the Champion says, a touch breathlessly, "As it is, I think it was meant for you, or someone very like you. Ah, here we are."

The ground has... not quite levelled out, but the slope is now much less severe, and the lack of shelter from the howling wind tells Sakura that they have reached the summit. Ahead of her, judging by the sound of the wind, is some kind of small spire, or perhaps a statue.

"That is the most holy shrine in all our lands. One does not approach unless they are willing to stand before the gaze of Amaterasu herself," Moshi Jukio tells Sakura, her voice soft and reverent, "Every Champion in the history of our Clan has come here and prayed, alone, for the Sun's favour. Now you must do the same. I will wait here."

Sakura nods, then moves forwards, listening- the occasional _tap_ of her sheathed sword against the ground the only sound she makes. Reaching the shrine, she removes her blindfold, folding it up- it felt... wrong to come concealed. Kneeling, Sakura claps her hands three times to gain the attention of the spirits, her eyes opened.

This close, the sound of the wind reveals what lies before her - a simple stone pillar, tapered at the point, jutting out of the ground to mark the place a miracle occurred. There is a low table before it, it seems, or perhaps an altar, but unless there is some manner of hidden compartment she do not sense the relic Moshi Jukio spoke of.

There is a sense of... expectation, almost, in the air. Overhead the noonday sun hangs high in the sky, warming the stone underfoot with its light, and Sakura cannot shake the feeling that she is being watched.

"Thank you for this gift. I suppose I should start with that, at least, whatever comes from it. I know you've given it to me for a _reason_ , and I promise to you, Lady Sun, that I will find out what that reason is. I promise that I will use it with honour and to better the Emerald Empire."

The words spill out of Sakura's mouth- normally, she'd pray formally, but this... this feels right. "If I could ask anything more of you, it would be guidance. Not just what to do regarding Yuzuki, but how to reveal myself. But given the journey I'm about to undertake, I imagine that will come in time anyway, especially if I pay proper attention. I promise to do that. So, instead..."

She turns her head upwards, towards the sky. "I have my path, and I will follow it. I ask only your continued blessing, Lady Sun, as I set out to find the task you have set for me and perform it, for the benefit of Rokugan and the Emerald Throne."

The wind steals her words almost as soon as they are out of her mouth, and for a moment nothing happens. Sakura is alone upon the mountain.

And then, quite suddenly, she is not.

There is a presence in front of her; a rustling of silk, a sense of heat, a mother's love and a hundred, thousand things more... and there is a hand on her shoulder, warm and comforting.

"Hello, Sakura."

"...Lady Amaterasu?"

Sakura did not expect _this_. Sakura did not expect this _at all_. Her _on_ cracks, and her face is pure shock for a moment before she composes herself.

"One name among many, but yes," The Goddess says, and... Sakura does not think she is speaking Rokugani, or even the language of the spirits that she learned, but there is no mistaking her words. "You called to me. Is it so surprising that I might answer?"

"Thousands call to you each day, though. I thought that if you had not spoken to me when you first granted me your gift..."

That Amaterasu would let Sakura find her path on her own. She doesn't complete the statement, but it hangs in the air, not needing to be spoken.

"You did not need me then; you needed my strength, the strength to prevail over evil, and I gave it to you," Amaterasu says, her voice finer than that of any poet.

Sakura nods. "And for more than that. I am prepared to find out what that might be on my own, if that is indeed your plan, Lady Sun... but I must admit, I tread a path no samurai has before, as far as I know. There is no tradition I can possibly look to for guidance in this."

She pauses. "If I could ask one thing of you in particular, Lady Sun... Moshi-sama said I was not fully mortal any longer. What does that mean for my lifespan, barring the end all samurai accept as likely?"

"No samurai? Oh, my child," Amaterasu smiles with a warmth that Sakura feels in her very bones, "Humility is a worthy trait, but you must not let it blind you. What do you suppose Hantei was?"

"...what."

Sakura's head turns sharply towards Amaterasu, her mouth open. "But... was not Hantei your son?"

"He was, and I loved him deeply" Amaterasu replies, and there is a fond wistfulness in her tone, "He bore my blood, burned with my light, learned at my knee, spoke in my name... and now, so do you."

"The other Kami, too?"

"Oh yes, though more than one took after their father more than they did me," Amaterasu says, and Sakura thinks she might almost be about to laugh at the memories such words invoke, "You have known family as a mortal does, just as all your ancestors have for a thousand years and more. Hantei called Doji his sister, and she named him her brother, and in the end that is what mattered, not the precise details of their blood."

Sakura's mouth opens and closes several times, her head spinning. "I... I assume, then, that my life would be as theirs was in terms of the time of years?"

"Longer, perhaps," Amaterasu says softly, "Hantei and his kin are not the only ones Onnotangu and I have blessed; just as they forged Rokugan, their distant cousins wrought nations and empires all across the world. Some lived for a thousand years or more before succumbing to age, others were slain by steel and claw within mere days of receiving my blessing."

"A thousand years."

Sakura repeats the words softly, before nodding. The rest... it was all so much, and she needed time to process it. "...thank you, Lady Sun."

"You are not Hantei, or Doji, or any of the others... but you have the same gifts they did, and your actions can ring at least as loud, should you wish it," Amaterasu says softly, "Your heart is a good one, Sakura; I would not have given you this strength if I did not think you would use it well."

Sakura nods. "I... truly am humbled by your trust in me, Amaterasu."

"And such trust should be represented by more than words," the goddess says with a gentle laugh. There is a faint rustling sound, and then into Sakura's hands is pressed a length of something far softer and finer than any silk. It radiates warmth and an aura of power quite beyond anything she has ever encountered; a small reflection of the one who bestowed it upon her. "I named you my sword, and now I grant upon you armour suitable for the title. Wear it well, and never fear the dark."

Sakura takes the cloth, bowing humbly. "...thank you, Amaterasu. I will make sure to honour this gift."

"I expect nothing less," Lady Sun says, her voice confident and unafraid, "Now, go, and know that my light will be with you, always."


	7. On the Road Again

**One week later**

It is the privilege of an Emerald Magistrate to travel as they wish and their duties demand, and between Sakura's rank and the papers granted to her by the Moshi Daimyo none choose to stand in the way of her and Yuzuki, as they venture further into the lands of the Phoenix. 

The provinces they pass through now are under the rule of the Shiba family, and signs of their careful stewardship can be found all around Sakura. The land is pleasant, the roads well maintained, and the peasantry both courteous and well cared for. At each new village they are greeted warmly by the local headman, and as tradition demands are swiftly provided with the finest food and lodgings that the _heimin_ can provide.

Sakura goes through the motions of each greeting, comporting herself with all proper dignity and grace... but the conversation with Amaterasu is on her mind, constantly distracting her, although it's a subtle thing.

In the village of Three Rock Hill the peasants are able to provide them with a house all of their own, for the headman is out visiting a nearby village in response to some minor dispute, and once night falls and the locals have withdrawn Yuzuki takes full advantage of the privacy.

She kneels behind her lover, tying off the last of the knots, and though her hands are gentle and her heart beats swiftly Sakura gets the impression she has more than love on her mind tonight. Said suspicions are confirmed when she leans in and lays a soft kiss against the curve of the Crane's neck.

"So, what's wrong?" She says, whispering softly in Sakura's ear.

Sakura freezes, then smiles as she realises what Yuzuki's done- as her love knows full well by now, the act of being bound itself calms Sakura somewhat, helping to drain a bit of the tension and concerns she didn't know she had. Nude, Sakura shifts a little in her bonds, before settling down to talk- free to speak plainly, in this most intimate and private of situations. "The day before we left on our journey, when Moshi Jukio took me up the mountain... I haven't told you, but the Lady Sun answered my prayer there in far more depth than simply providing me with her obi. She told me a great deal about the nature of her gifts and... the last, ah, people who had them."

She pauses. "As wrong as it feels to refer to the Eight Kami in such as way."

Yuzuki's hands, previous trailing feather-light touches down Sakura's side, stop. Her breath catches in her throat.

"Oh..." she says at last, a slightly bemused tone to her voice, "Yes, that would... that would explain why you've been so distracted, yes."

Sakura turns her head. "It's... not the only thing, but I'll... get to that. And what the Lady Sun said... from her own point of view, nothing about the story of the kami is truly wrong in its meaning- she views them all as her children, even if they weren't born to her."

She shifts a little in her restraints. "That... comes to the other thing. The other two things, really. The Lady Sun- and the Lord Moon- did not limit their gifts _only_ to the kami, but to others beyond Rokugan as well. And, uh..."

Her head turns, the subtle distress she's been bottling up for the past week far closer to the surface, now. "Amaterasu said to me that some of those she has blessed have lived for a thousand years or more."

"Truly?" Yuzuki leans in, wrapping both arms around Sakura's waist and holding her close. Her hair, unbound for the night, tickles Sakura's shoulder. "Amazing. To live so long, to see so much... yet you do not sound happy about it."

Sakura rests her head back against Yuzuki's shoulder, her expression clearly troubled, now. "Enough feathers may come to bear a weight of their own. The Kami may have known of this, but they had companions to bear that weight with them."

"Mm. _Your_ Kami did, yes," Yuzuki says with a smile, running one finger across the rope below Sakura's breasts, " _Mine_ left her siblings behind and rode out beyond the borders of the world, and never returned to Rokugan. She found love out there, bore children, rode day and night with those who had never been human and those who would never live to see or do a fraction of what she had."

Sakura pauses, then smiles gently. "I suppose I will have to try and follow her example, then. And spend as much time with the one _I_ love in the meantime as is possible."

She turns her body, shuffling around before nuzzling against Yuzuki's shoulder softly.

"More people should listen to Shinjo's wisdom," Yuzuki says seriously, before breaking into a soft laugh, "So, the Kami were like you, then? Blessed by the sun and... no, they can't all have been like you, or else why call the Moon their father..."

"Mmm, some took their blessing from Lord Moon, yes." Sakura giggles, the tension broken, her body relaxed in the restraints now as she leans against Yuzuki's body far more happily. "I didn't ask for a list of which took their blessings from Sun or Moon, but Amaterasu indicated that fairly clearly, at least."

"Well, there you go then," Yuzuki says with a laugh, holding Sakura close, "It's a bit more complicated than it was, but honestly, it's nothing too extreme. You probably don't want to mention the idea of _gajin_ kami too loudly, though. Can you even imagine how the Lion would react?"

Sakura giggles. "I'm... going to keep _that_ quiet unless they actually come to Rokugan, yes. The Lion would not take it well."

"Truly, you are wise," Yuzuki says with an audible grin, holding her lover close as Sakura's head rests against her shoulder. Then she lifts one hand and gently cups Sakura's breast, "Such wisdom should be rewarded, I think..."

Sakura gasps, her smile returning. "What did... aaaaah... you have in mind?"

"Oh, I have a few ideas..." Yuzuki says in a low voice, leaning in to bring her lips to Sakura's...

-/-

It does not take them long to leave the lands of the Shiba behind, crossing into the territory of the Asako, and the transition between the two could not be more severe. The smoothly paved roads give way to dirt tracks, the villages become smaller and more isolated, the incidence of shrines and minor icons redoubles... and above it all, the Mori Isawa draws near.

Yuzuki describes it to Sakura, of course, speaking of a great ocean of dark green that seems to swallow the horizon whole, but in truth the Crane hardly needs her lover's words to paint a picture in her mind. The soft creak of a million trees fills the air, the scent of pine grows ever richer, and as they draw close the world seems to grow warm and thick, brushing up against her mind like the touch of a living thing.

There are voices on the wind, and not all of them are mortal.

Sakura tilts her head- she's not exactly surprised at the presence of non-mortal voices, given this is the lands of the _Isawa_ , but she pays attention to the voices anyways. Hrm. Her sense of hearing seems to have grown even _keener_ over the past week or so, capable of hearing much further.

She reaches out with her newly enhanced senses, trying to determine if there's meaning in the voices of the spirits- or just the sort of playful chatter she's grown used to from the elemental kami.

It takes her a while to put what she's hearing in proper context, but... it almost sounds like the spirits are attending _court_.

She can hear the fluttering of leaves that sound like fans, the murmur of soft voices in the background, the swaying tones of music and song... and every now and then, words of command and judgement, spoken in a voice deeper than anything mortal tongues could produce.

"Sakura?" Yuzuki says curiously, reigning in Raiko a few paces further up the road, and Sakura realises she must have stopped in place. "What is it?"

"It is... hrm, a court of the spirits, it sounds to me." Sakura turns her head, moving up next to Yuzuki and trying to pinpoint the direction of the court. "Complete with a local lord, like any Winter Court. It took me a while to... figure that out, but I do not think it could be otherwise."

"Truly? How strange..." Yuzuki says thoughtfully, "I suppose it makes sense, though. Shugenja can carry the wishes of the kami to their fellow mortals, but if a spirit requires something from another spirit, they would need ways of resolving such disputes..."

From what Sakura can tell, the court itself is somewhere within the Mori Isawa itself, hidden deep within the green. Their intended route does not take them under the canopy, however - stories of what happens to those foolish enough to go wandering in such a spiritual place are common around here.

Sakura nods. "Indeed. Let us not bother them without reason- I suspect they would respond harshly to any uninvited guests, and it would be rather impolite as well."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Yuzuki murmurs thoughtfully, "Come on, it's only a few days more to Seido Jurojin, assuming the directions are accurate."

"Of course." Sakura pulls her horse up besides Raiko, before falling in, following Yuzuki towards Seido Jurojin.

As it turns out, the directions are accurate. The pair leave the Mori Isawa behind, following their path through the last of the plains and then up into hills. The roads here are sparse and minimal, well maintained but hardly designed for the quantity of traffic that makes use of them... and there is a great deal of traffic.

That the largest shrine to one of the Seven Great Fortunes would draw pilgrims was expected, but as they ride along the path the majority of the people they pass seem to have more earthly concerns upon their mind. They pass a young girl muttering prayers for her sick mother, a proud Matsu whose hands clench into fists at the sight of Sakura, an elderly lord born in a litter who stinks of wounds turned septic... all people in need, or here on behalf of those who are, and all of them heading to Seido Jurojin.

Sakura keeps her expression clear at the smell of the lord, unpleasant as it is- and simply nods in respect towards the Matsu, not wanting to provoke a fight here. Or at all, really- a thousand years will be a long time to carry on old grudges for one person alone. Her blindfold fixed over her eyes, Sakura's head turns towards Yuzuki, letting the Unicorn mostly guide the way.

Keeping to themselves, they press on, maintaining a steady pace even as the climb becomes arduous and the temperature drops. They pass more than one minor shrine alone the route, small icons left behind where others seeking the mercy of Jurojin perished before reaching the walls of his temple, but between Yuzuki's skill and Sakura's gifts the trek is relatively simple.

Seido Jurojin is a large, walled complex situated along the top of a row of mountainous cliffs, its back guarded by the open air and a drop of several hundred feet. The main building rises at least a dozen stories into the air, intricate carvings and carefully placed statues on its flanks twisting the wind into a melodious song, and as they draw closer the sounds and scents of a busy temple become more and more apparent. The low drone of prayers, the sweet scent of medicinal balms, the soft swish of brushes against paper... for such a remote location, the temple is surprisingly well staffed and supplied.

Samurai of the Phoenix stand watch over the entrances, and as Sakura and Yuzuki approach one of them steps forwards, the butt of her naginata rapping briefly against the mountain stone.

"Welcome to Seido Jurojin, Kakita-sama, Utaku-sama," she says politely, "What brings you to our humble shrine?"

Sakura dismounts and then inclines her head in respect- the difference in status removing the need for her to actually bow- before she removes a letter from where she had it tucked into the sleeve of her kimono, passing it to the guard. "I come on a task that the Moshi daimyo requested I perform for her- my letter of introduction, Phoenix-san."

"The Moshi? I see," the samurai takes the letter, "I will convey this to the abbot. However, before you pass through the gate, I must inform you of the temple's policy - there is no violence with Seido Jurojin, nor any tools of such deadly work."

Sakura nods. "That is fair. With whom should we leave our blades?"

The samurai-ko makes a brief gesture, and from inside the temple the soft scuffing of sandals on stone approaches. "The neophytes would be pleased to attend to your blades, and will see them polished while I convey your letter to the abbot."

Yuzuki slings herself out of the saddle and begins removing her sword. "Is there somewhere we might leave our steeds?"

"We have a small stable nearby where your horses might be attended to," the samurai-ko says in a neutral tone, "Though most pilgrims opt to walk."

Sakura tilts her head in acknowledgement of the veiled criticism. In truth, she would normally have preferred to walk... except that she had seven shrines to visit, scattered all over the Empire. "My thanks, Phoenix-san."

The neophytes take their blades with a reverent air, and two more come forwards to lead their steeds away to the stables. Satisfied, the Phoenix turns and leads the way inside the temple, taking them to a small room on the ground floor of the main building. Sakura can hear faint cries of pain from deeper within, but also the soothing tones of priests as they tend to those in their care. 

"Please wait here while I locate the abbot," the Phoenix says, before turning and heading off once more. The room they have been left in is small and bare, but there are at least cushions to kneel on and a window to let in the fresh air.

"'Most pilgrims opt to walk'," Yuzuki repeats in a quiet tone, "Bah. As though that were better."

Sakura's head turns towards her. "Most of us do not think of horses as such close companions as your people do, Yuzuki- although it was an... _interesting_ statement to make to an Utaku, I agree."

"That is one way of putting it, I suppose," Yuzuki grumbles, "As if I would just leave Raiko at the bottom of the hill for some peasant to look after... not even a Unicorn peasant, at that..."

The sound of feet in the hallway outside stifles further conversation, and a moment later the samurai-ko returns.

"Asako-dono wishes to see you, Kakita-sama," she says politely, "If you would follow me?"

Sakura rises, nodding. "Of course. Does she wish to see Utaku-san as well, or simply myself?"

"Only you for now, Kakita-sama," The samurai bows politely, "Your companion may wait here, or wander the grounds as desired."

"I'll take a look around," Yuzuki says, rolling her neck with an audible click, "Come find me when you're finished, yes?"

"Of course. Lead the way if you please, Phoenix-san."

The Phoenix leads Sakura at a gentle pace through the halls of the temple - moving slower, she expects, because of her evident blindness - and after a handful of twists and turns brings her to a humble room on one of the upper floors.

"Kakita-sama to see you, Asako-dono."

"Thank you, Shiba-san," the abbot - a man, Sakura realises, and rather old judging by the croak in his voice, replies. "Welcome to Seido Jurojin, Kakita-sama. Please, take a seat."

The echoes in the room indicate the presence of a low desk in front of him, and on the far side a set of simple cushions.

Sakura taps her foot against the floor twice, listening to the echoes, before moving at a steady and certain pace to sit on the cushions on the other side of the desk from the abbot. "Of course, Asako-sama. You wished to see me?"

"I did, though perhaps it would be more accurate to say that _you_ wished to see _me_ ," the abbot replies in a dry tone, "My name is Asako Sabuto, and I have been abbot of this temple for fifteen years. In that time I have exchanged hundreds of letters with Moshi Jukio-dono, and not once has she sent a samurai to me as she sends you now."

Sakura pauses for a moment, considering her words. "It is the result of a rather unique situation, Asako-sama, and Moshi-sama is of the opinion that the details of the situation should remain quiet until the time is right."

"Yes... two samurai arrive at my door bearing a letter from my old friend asking for me to intercede on your behalf with Jurojin-no-kami," Asako Sabuto says calmly, "Jukio claims to be motivated by a matter of Clan honour, but will not share the details of what it is, and you in turn wish the details to remain quiet."

He suspects that something is amiss here, that much is clear.

Sakura's expression is smooth, but her words earnest. "Both Moshi-sama and I are of the opinion that if the full nature of the matter was revealed to the Empire- at least, before the time is right- it could be... destabilising. However, if you ask it of me, I will tell you more of this matter, Asako-sama."

There is a pause, and then the abbot sighs. "No, Kakita-sama, I don't think that will be necessary. Clan secrets are not a new experience for me, and... well, if your cause is not honourable, then no amount of intercession will suffice to draw the Fortune's blessing."

Sakura tilts her head in acknowledgement of his words. "That it is an honourable cause is one thing I can guarantee you, Asako-sama."

"Mm. We will see," Asako Sabuto says thoughtfully, rising to his feet. He moves around the desk and over to a nearby window, and as he goes there is something... off about his movements. "I can perform a ritual that will draw the Fortune's eye to a petitioner, but it will take time to prepare. Moreover, I will need certain herbs that are in short supply at the best of times."

Sakura’s head turns- focusing her attention on the way his bones move, his gait, the way his feet strike the ground as he walks. "I assume these are not the best of times, Asako-sama? Regardless, Utaku-san and I will be glad to aid in gathering them if we might be of assistance."

It takes her a moment to pinpoint it, but the Abbot's movements are... surprisingly fluid, for one of his age. His voice croaks and his gait is deliberately slow and careful, but this is a falsehood - the way he moves, the strength in his limbs, all speak to the body and health of a much younger man. Indeed, Sakura might have thought him thirty years at the most, yet he claims to have been the abbot for fifteen ...

"They are not, but in truth this is something of a blessing," Asako Sabuto responds thoughtfully, "The herbs I need have potent medicinal applications, and Jurojin-no-kami will be better inclined to one who has laboured in support of his values."

Sakura's eyebrows almost raise, but she doesn’t react to his words visibly. It’s suspicious to say the least, but she'd need proof of any wrongdoing, and this is not the place to throw around such accusations in any case. "Of course. Where might I find these herbs, Asako-sama?

"Within the Isawa Mori, naturally," the Abbot says with a certain grim humour, "They have a distinctive scent and appearance - I will provide you and your companion with a sample for reference. Moshi-dono claims to have spent time tutoring you, so this will also be an excellent chance to see how many of her lessons you have truly learned."

"Of course- we shall set out as soon as possible."

"Is is already past noon," Sabuto says in a thoughtful tone, " Best to stay for the night, I think, and set out in the morning - the pass can be treacherous in the dark, and while that might not matter to you, your companion and her steed will likely appreciate it."

Sakura tilts her head, her internal senses immediately telling her that he's correct about the time. "Of course. In that case, with your permission, Asako-sama, I will meet with my companion and inform her we shall be staying the night."


	8. Beneath Sacred Boughs

The Abbot knows the duties of hospitality, and within the hour a monk comes to lead Sakura and Yuzuki to the chambers set aside for them, located in a small building towards the edge of the temple complex. The place is humble, bearing only the most basic of furnishings, but everything Sakura hears and smells tells her that the monks themselves enjoy nothing finer.

"Raiko is being well looked after - I think the monk at the stables might have been Unicorn once," Yuzuki comments idly, settling herself down into one of the pallets provided. There are six of them in this room, for space within the monastery is too limited to allow for individual accommodation. "How did your conversation with the abbot go?"  


Sakura sits on one of the pallets herself, close to Yuzuki- to be perfectly honest, she's slept in worse without complaint. "...interestingly. He wishes for us to gather some herbs that he says he will require to draw Jurojin's eye- herbs with medical uses, specifically."

She pauses for a moment, listening for anyone close by. "I assume the ritual is physically demanding for the participants."  


There is a faint creak as Yuzuki shifts her position. "...I see. You think he might... harm you, in the process?"  


"Hrmmm. I am not overly worried about _that_ , although he moves with far more ease than I'd expect for one of his age- purely by the way he moves, I would guess he is only thirty years of age."

Sakura tilts her head, before removing her blindfold, folding it up and setting it besides her pallet. "That is not to say this will be without risk- the only place the herbs can be found is within the Isawa Mori. It will likely require that we interact with the spirits there."  


"...without a shugenja?" Yuzuki says slowly, "That seems... dangerous, in more than one way."  


Sakura nods. "Moshi-dono _did_ tell him she has been tutoring me- he may assume that included a method of dealing with spirits, and views this as an opportunity to test that. And he is correct in his assumption- I _can_ hear spirits now, after all, and Moshi-dono did teach me some of the methods shugenja use to interact with them."  


She pulls the sample of herb the abbot gave her out of her sleeve. "It is, I think, a calculated danger on his part. In any case, he gave me a sample so I might know its scent."  


"So you are to be a priestess as well, I suppose..." Yuzuki says softly, her voice distant, "another path I cannot walk."  


Sakura's head turns towards her, leaning forwards. "Yuzuki... what I said at the inn is still true. My blessing may have changed me, but I truly believe that Lady Sun knew exactly who she was blessing- and that included the ties I have. Including my love for you. Perhaps parts of my path might be different, but I promise, I will not let our paths separate altogether."  


"Just because you won’t let it, doesn’t mean it will not happen," Yuzuki replies, before pausing. There is a faint rushing noise as she pulls one hand through her hair. "Ah... no, that is not fair. It is simply... I do not like this place. Too many people die here, or are sick beyond the ability of even Jurojin’s disciples to cure. It promotes... a certain way of thinking."  


Sakura nods a few times, silent for a moment before she speaks again. "Indeed. It brings to mind the fact that even should neither of us fall from battle, our paths will one day separate from simple age. As you grow old, while I remain. But while that day is still far off... I would rather our paths remain together, and I will put my effort towards making it so."  


"I suppose... well. One day at a time." Yuzuki shakes her head, "In any case, we have some time before nightfall. I suppose we could try exploring, or maybe talking to some of the monks... even some of the pilgrims, for that matter."  


"I would not object to exploring a little. Although first... how distinctive _is_ the herb? The Abbot gave me a sample, but smell and touch are poor ways to locate a single herb in a forest, everything else aside- once all the issues with the spirits are done with, I will be relying on your help, Yuzuki." Sakura tilts hear head slightly, holding the sample out for Yuzuki to look at.  


"...well, it’s blue. That helps," Yuzuki says dryly, "Which is to say it holds the same hue as the ocean. I do not know the Mori Isawa, but that herb seems to be distinctive enough."

Now that she mentions it, Sakura notes that the scent of the herb is remarkably similar to the salt and spray of the coast. She would have expected it to be plucked from the waters depths, if anywhere, not from beneath the boughs of one of the Empire’s largest forests.  


"Hrmm. It _smells_ like it should be from the ocean, too. That... is interesting. But then, the Mori Isawa is a strange place as well."

Sakura smiles. "It seems we will both have something to pay attention for, then."  


The rest of the evening passes relatively uneventfully for the pair- Sakura and Yuzuki spend some time exploring, and simply enjoying each other's company, as well as talking with some of the monks.  


-/-

Sleep comes easily that night, and with it... dreams.  


_She is beautiful. Many years he has lived, many lands has he walked, and in none of them has there ever been a woman such as this. Her hair is long and smooth, a dark black in hue and blessed with the kind of liquid sheen he has only ever seen in silk. Her body is smooth and toned, tremendous power bound together with a dancer’s grace, and what few scars she bears seem only to accentuate her perfection. But her eyes... her eyes are the greatest treasure; clear and grey and burning with a fire to consume creation. He could stare at them for hours, if she were of a mind to let him._

_She is the most beautiful woman he have ever seen... and she will never be his._

_"How many times must I say it, one-eye?" His lover demands, hands on her hips as she stands naked before him. Her skin is beaded with sweat, the legacy of an afternoon’s frantic lovemaking, but though her breathing is heavy he knows better than to think her will in any way diminished. "No. I will not marry you."_

_Akodo frowns for a moment- but only a moment one, as he admires Matsu. After all, for such a vision of perfection he can't stay angry for long. Even when she's refusing him._

__

__

_ Perhaps especially when she's refusing him. With so many over the years having treated him as a living god- or, more recently, a demon in human form, perhaps the greatest thing about his lover, was that she... didn't. Oh, she respected his power, she followed him as a leader, but in private, in the bedroom, she was her own woman, fierce and untameable. Glorious. But still... he finally decides to ask the second question. The one that he's been wondering over for days, weeks, years- ever since the first time he'd offered. Stepping forwards, Akodo looks at his lover intensely. "...I've never asked you why. Why won't you marry me, be at my side as we form our new Clan, Matsu? I can think of no one I'd rather have there, and you could do so much for the Clan and the Empire..."_

_"I will be there, you oaf," Matsu replies, stepping forwards and pressing one hand against his bare chest, "I swore an oath to be there, at your side, until the bitter end. You have my life, my loyalty, my body... my name is all I have left, the one thing I have not given you, and it is mine alone."_

_Akodo looks down at her, his expression one of puzzlement, now. "Your... name? I don't seek to take that away from you- rather, I seek to enshrine it. I wouldn't see you forgotten, Matsu, and this is the best way I know how... to see your position enshrined in history"_

_"Hah! The name of Matsu will endure for a thousand years, with or without your aid, old man," His lover says with a bark of laughter, "The things I have done, the students I have trained, the enemies I have slain... oh, I will be remembered in the histories, but it will be as **Matsu** , nothing more or less."_

_She shakes her head, a rueful smile on her face. "You burn too bright, sun-child. If we wed, I would no longer be Matsu. I would be ‘Akodo’s Wife’, and remembered as such - always a footnote, always second to be named. I love you, fool, but some fires burn fiercer still."_  


_"..."_

__

__

_ Akodo can't help it. He chuckles, shaking his head. "...and again, you remind me why I love and admire you so much, Matsu. I... all right. I'll not ask again, my love. I suppose I'm too used to a world in which the glory of the Sun-children and moon-children obscured those not blessed as we no matter what... but that time is long past, now."_

_"It passed the moment you met me," Matsu says with a throaty purr. One hand reaches up and hooks around the back of Akodo's head, pulling him down and into a kiss that burns with hunger. "Now... we yet have time, before your brother calls once more, and I am not yet sated. Show me this love of which you speak."_

-/-

Sakura's eyes snap open to blackness, and her ears attune to the sound as she sits up, before slipping off the pallet, a hand to her forehead. _What was that?_  


The room offers no answers, just cold silence and... well, darkness. But it had not been so dark in the dream, as dark as her world has ever been. There had been... sight. Vision. Even without having known such things before she knows them now.  


Sakura slips out of the room quietly, slipping on a pair of sandals as she walks outside, before she starts to sit and meditate. That was... Akodo. Was the blessing somehow _passed down_ from him? With at least some of his memories?

Including those of... Matsu. That was... different indeed. Her face betrays nothing, but the dream holds little comfort for her. Only more questions. Is she simply condemning Yuzuki to the same fate that Matsu was so determined to refuse, to simply be known as Sakura's lover or wife?  


Most dreams fade upon waking, but this one... this one lingers, as sharp and clear as any memory. Because, something tells Sakura, that is exactly what it was. 

So consumed is she with her thoughts that it takes longer than normal for meditation to return her calm... and when it does, Sakura notices just how quiet everything is. The wind howling over the mountains is the only sound, and from behind her, only silence.

Yuzuki is not here.  


Sakura stands. After a moment she tilts her head and starts sniffing, trying to find the distinctive smell of her lover. She's not worried, however, at least not just yet. Yuzuki can take care of herself... but still.  


The temple may be still, but there are more senses than just sound at her disposal, and when it comes to scent... oh, the place is alive with it. The sweet hint of incense, the dusty edge of rough-hewn stone, the gut-twisting edge of illness and disease... and there, beneath it all, the unique combination of sweat and leather that is her lover’s scent.

Yuzuki, it seems, walked out of the room perhaps... twenty minutes past, at best. She made her way down the corridor, leaving her equipment behind, heading deeper into the temple itself.  


Sakura's nose almost twists a little at the edge of illness she can smell... but she follows the path of her lover, a little discomforted by the dream she just had. A prayer could do her good in any case.  


The medley of scents to be found throughout Jurojin Seido would be enough to drown out Sakura's perception of any specific one, in normal circumstances... but she knows Yuzuki’s trail almost better than her own, and with the lightest of steps Sakura tracks her down through the halls and corridors of the temple.

Her lover is not, it seems, moving with great purpose. Here she circled a chamber twice before choosing one exit above the others, there she lingered for a time to study the parchment Sakura can hear rustling slightly on the wall... even so, her course leads upwards, up to the very peak of the temple building.  


Sakura follows the path, increasingly confused. It's not entirely unlike Yuzuki to wander- but in her experience, it's generally done with _purpose_ , not like this. Meanwhile, she listens for signs of Yuzuki's actual presence...  


And as she draws closer to the apex of the temple, she finds it. The faint sigh of breath, the rustle of hair, the scuffing of sandaled feet against a wooden floor... and beneath it all, the frantic drumbeat of a racing heart. 

There is a balcony of sorts up ahead, and Yuzuki stands upon it, staring away from Sakura and out towards the nighttime sky. 

There is something more.

The air is chill, far more so than Sakura would expect, and the creak of settling wood sounds remarkably like the spoken word. She can smell... blood, old and freshly spilled alike, and a musky animal scent quite unlike anything else she has ever experienced.  


"...Yuzuki? Something smells... a little bit off. Is something the matter?"

Sakura doesn't mention the racing heart, but something seems... off.  


Yuzuki does not react. She does not move, does not even twitch her head in the normal, involuntary motion of someone being addressed. It is as if she did not hear Sakura at all. 

"What do you want?" she says, suddenly, and her voice is little more than a snarl. Sakura do not think she is addressing her lover.  


...all right, _now_ Sakura's worried. She steps forwards, listening for the presence of anyone else- even extending her senses to that which she discovered in the Moshi lands, her hands curling into fists as she listens for spirits. She might not have her sword, and this might not be an appropriate place for a fight... but if something threatens Yuzuki, they will have to go past her first.  


She extends her senses, ready to strike at whatever it is that might be threatening Yuzuki... and then Sakura begins to feel very, very small.

The spirit does not stand upon the balcony, nor does it float upon the air. It stands with booted feet planted firmly in the courtyard below, and speaks through a mouth another fifteen feet above her head. A suit of armour wrought from volcanic stone clinks softly with every breath, and the stench of blood and animal fur is strong enough to drown in. Whatever exists beneath that armour, it shares only the roughest kind of similarity with the human form.

Sakura recognises him instantly, the knowledge of his identity pressing itself into her mind with an almost physical force.

" **A question I would ask of you in turn, little samurai** ," Onnotangu, husband to Lady Sun and God of the Moon, speaks in a voice of living thunder, " **assuming that you even know.** " 

Oh. 

Sakura suddenly does feel very small indeed- but this... is Yuzuki's trial, it seems. Or her test. Sakura isn’t quite sure, to be honest. She steps forwards, close to Yuzuki... but she truly is only a witness here, it seems. 

"No more games," Yuzuki says, and Sakura does not know if it is plea or demand that shapes her words, "I wanted peace, time to put my thoughts in order, not more... not more questions!"

" **Peace?** " Onnotangu laughs, and it is a profoundly _ugly_ sound, " **You surrendered peace the moment you fell in love, foolish girl. There is a fire within your breast, and left unquenched it will burn until there is nothing left of you but ash and twisted bones. That is what it means to love the sun.** "

Sakura can’t help but wince a little at that, Matsu's words still in her heart. 

"I know that!" Yuzuki replies, her words sharp and defiant, but Sakura can hear the pain that hides beneath them. "I don’t... I don’t care! I love her, and if that love must be short, if it must end badly then so be it! So long as she is mine and I am hers what does it matter?"

" **You can lie to yourself, girl,** " The Fortune says in a tone as grim as any winter, " **but do not think to lie to me. If you were just another fool willing to burn herself to ash rather than relinquish the sunlight I would not be here, and if you truly believed what you say then your voice would not shake so. Speak true now, or never again.** "

Yuzuki hesitates. 

"...I don’t want to lose her," she says at last, "and she does not want to lose me, but the world would see us apart all the same and I... I hate that. Every poem about admiring the fleeting petals, every story about the lovers who would die rather than be apart, every... every sly little saying and whispering treacherous thought... I hate _all_ of it. I would change it if I could, but I can’t. I lack the strength. One woman, against an Empire? An entire way of life?"

" **And what if you could?** " Onnotangu says, and there is a vicious kind of satisfaction in his rumbling voice, " **If you did have the power to face the world?** "

Sakura is reminded, quite suddenly, of a great _many_ stories about the Moon and what his offers bring... 

But Sakura also remembers what Amaterasu said. The Kami were not just given _her_ power, after all... 

"...then I would break it," Yuzuki says, her voice a little more than a ragged whisper, clearly speaking a truth that has wormed at her heart for longer than Sakura is prepared to guess, "I would cast it down and take what I want, make the world be as I wanted, or... or maybe just leave. Ride beyond the horizon, leave it all behind, as Shinjo did."

Lord Moon laughs, and high above the skies shake with the force of his mirth.

" **Then you shall have that power, child,** " he says with an almost fond regard, " **and I shall watch with interest.** "

Then the Fortune is gone, vanished as though he were never there... and in his wake the cold moon shines on, now bound within the body of the woman Sakura loves.

Yuzuki takes a breath, and the world will never be the same again.  


Sakura steps forwards, laying a hand on Yuzuki's shoulder. "Yuzuki?"  


"Sakura? I... Oh..." Yuzuki is trembling, her heart pounding in her chest, and... the air is cold around her, frost forming on the wooden beams beneath their feet. "I... I feel..."  


"If it’s anything at all like what I felt, I imagine everything feels... new. Your gift was... not nearly as gentle as mine, though." Sakura smiles at Yuzuki. "Also, I can’t see it, but I imagine you're glowing in some way."  


"I... Oh, this feels _wonderful_..." Yuzuki says, stretching her arms wide, "How do you stand it? I... I want to..."

She steps, slowly, towards the edge of the balcony. The wind howls incessantly beyond. 

Sakura blinks for a moment, before speaking up. "I... Yuzuki, what are you doing?" 

"This," her lover says, turning and pressing her lips to Sakura's. The kiss is wild, joyous, and so fierce it takes Sakura a moment to notice when one of Yuzuki’s arms loops itself around her just beneath the waist. She picks Sakura up, lifting the Crane into the air with an ease that she can scarcely comprehend. "Hold on tight."

Then Yuzuki takes five more steps and throws the two of them out into the open air.  


"Wait, whaaaaa-"

Sakura's question turns into a startled yelp, which she just barely manages to cut off from an outright scream. For half a second, she finds herself wondering if Onnotangu's gift matched up to the worst of the stories... 

They fall, robed in freezing wind... and touch the ground as lightly as the falling snow. Yuzuki laughs, loud and joyous, and sprints towards the outer wall of the compound, her steps as fast as a galloping horse. A single leap carries them clear across the wall and onto the slopes below.

"This is amazing!" Yuzuki cries, her feet finding sure footing on the treacherous and broken stone even as she sprints headlong into the dark, "Oh, Sakura, I finally understand!" 

Sakura's eyes are wide as she holds her arms around Yuzuki, holding her close. "It- it is quite the experience... although it wasn’t quite like this for meeeeee!"

Sakura yelps as Yuzuki leaps, her heart _pounding_. And after a moment, as she gets her breathing under control, she realises...

"Yuzuki, are you taking us all the way to Mori Isawa now?"

"I..." Yuzuki slows, just slightly, and Sakura gets the distinct impression she wasn’t actually thinking about the destination so much as the sheer joy of movement.

Sakura giggles weakly, from her position carried by Yuzuki. "Or just enjoying running like this? That is so very like you, Yuzuki. But perhaps we should get properly dressed for meeting the spirits... and I can tell you about a dream I had."


	9. Mori Isawa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mature content at chapter end. Not planned at all, the characters basically flirted themselves into it, but if you were wondering why the previous mentions of bondage warranted a Mature rating, this chapter is it. :P

"...so, you’re telling me that you were _Akodo_ in a past life?" Yuzuki sounds incredulous, but this is to be expected. The two samurai-ko are making their way back down the mountain path, the warmth of the sun just starting to fall across the land, and in the distance Sakura can hear the rustling chorus of the Mori Isawa waiting patiently for their arrival.

"Apparently? Or the... hrm."

Sakura looks thoughtful, as she strides down the path. "Perhaps... it is the blessing from Lady Sun that was passed down to me? Moshi-sama said that she gave me a piece of her own soul, after all, maybe they... reincarnate themselves, and she simply directs where they go. I certainly do not think the blessing is unconnected to the dream."

"That would make sense... or maybe..." Yuzuki’s hair rustles slightly as she shakes her head. Her gait has changed somewhat from what it was - she is lighter on her feet, and moves with a greater sense of surety. "This seems like something only the Fortunes could answer. Or the Kitsu, I suppose, though what the Lion will do if they think Akodo-no-kami reincarnated into a _Kakita_..."

Sakura's head turns slowly towards Yuzuki. "The Matsu would be _furious_ -"

And mentioning the Matsu brought to mind the exact _context_ of the dream. Sakura cut off, her cheeks slightly pink. "In truth, I am content with leaving that question for now. It isn't truly a pressing one, I think."

"Perhaps not, though I think you will want an answer before we reach Lion lands, and..." Yuzuki’s voice trails off for a moment, "Sakura, are you blushing?"

Raiko whinnies slightly in what might almost be amusement.

"I, uh..." Sakura's blush grows a little, the Crane _feeling_ the heat on her cheeks now.

"You _are_ ," Yuzuki exclaims in a delighted tone, "Sakura, I’ve _never_ seen you blush... well, except when I’ve done something to cause it. What happened?"

Sakura finds herself squirming a bit... before she answers. "I, uh... Akodo was talking with Matsu. In private. I got... a very good _look_ , shall we say?"

Of course, while Sakura's blush only grows at the teasing... she does emphasise the one word, hoping Yuzuki would catch the _other_ part of the statement.

"...oh my ancestors, you’ve seen Matsu naked..." Yuzuki says in a tone of vaguely bewildered awe. "That is... wait, a good _look_?"

"Yes. That was... the other thing about the dream." Sakura's blush is still there, but it resides a little. "And... no, I've never had that happen in a dream before. Apparently, those who lose their sight with age often still dream with vision, but I've never done so until last night. It was... a surprise, one I don't think I'll ever forget."

"Huh. I... don’t actually have any idea what that would be like, do I?" Yuzuki says thoughtfully, "As far as I can tell I haven’t got any new senses with that blessing, so... how strange."

"I suspect it varies. After all, the Kami all had different abilities- and I've heard of no legends of Akodo having keen senses like I do... perhaps it depends on the one receiving the gift. Something to consider later, perhaps."

"Mm. So far I seem to be... I don’t know, I’m definitely _faster_ , and I feel stronger, but... well. I suppose I will have to experiment."

Raiko clucks her mouth for a moment, and Sakura realises they are drawing near to the forest itself. The rustling of leaves and branches fills the air, and the scent of a thousand different herbs and flowers lays heavy on the senses.

"We're here." Sakura takes a few experimental sniffs of the air, to see whether she can detect a scent of the herb they're here to find. It's not exactly hard to pick out normally... but this is Mori Isawa, where strange smells are ridiculously common. Still, Sakura perseveres, and sends just a touch of her power to her senses to enhance her ability to pick out this herb.

Most people would find it completely impossible to distinguish so many smells from each other, sensing only a deranged medley, but here as before the gifts of Lady Sun prove a significant boon. Sakura can make out sweet grass and sour pine, the old stink of a wounded beast and the ethereal spoor of a divine spirit... but she cannot locate the herb they are here to obtain. It must grow further beneath the boughs than her senses can currently reach.

"I can't smell anything, so it must be further within the forest." Sakura dismounts, frowning. "Would you mind helping me a little? I've become far more able to navigate by echo, but here... it would be easy to miss a tree root or the like."

"Of course," Yuzuki says, dismounting in turn, "Raiko, this may take a while, and the terrain is no friend to horses. Go run for a bit, and come when I call, OK?"

Raiko makes a brief sound of acknowledgement, and... Sakura has travelled with Yuzuki for some time, and she knows how the Unicorn speaks to her steed. Those instructions were much more detailed than any she has given before, and yet Raiko seems to have understood her entirely. For that matter, Sakura finds herself having a much easier time understanding what the horse is communicating in response...

Sakura blinks. "Hrm. It seems like there's at least one thing Lord Moon's gifts gave to you, Yuzuki- it's deepened the bond between you and Raiko even more."

"I... wait, truly?" Yuzuki tilts her head, her breathing changing slightly as she studies her horse, "I think you are right. Not what I expected, but not to be dismissed either. Interesting."

Raiko shakes her head and trots away, calling Sakura’s own pony to her side with a brief whinny. Then, together, the two samurai-ko turn and make their way beneath the boughs of the Mori Isawa.

Sakura nods, taking Yuzuki's sleeve with a gentle grip- what she normally would just hold Yuzuki's hand in private, she's aware of the spirits here, and some of them might be more... traditional. Even with their blessings, best not to insult. "You're far better at woodcraft than I, Yuzuki- you probably have more idea how to find a strange herb in a forest like this."

The Mori Isawa is... strange. Sakura has explored forests before, of course, both for pleasure and in the pursuit of her duties, but such places are as distant cousins to this most infamous of woods. The veil between worlds is thin here, and that carries with it more effects than she know how to easily describe. 

The pair pass beneath trees with bark of living iron, ford rivers that flow in two directions at once, and evade flights of hissing insects that sing to themselves in disjointed Rokugani. Everywhere there is the subtle taste of essence, of power attuned to life and growth as Sakura is now of the sun herself, and even a matter of hours wandering these sacred glades goes a long way towards explaining the success and power of the Isawa family. 

At one point Sakura lingers slightly too long by the banks of a stream and finds the ends of her kimono starting to melt into river water. They move on swiftly.

Sakura frowns as she feels the ends of the kimono melting. That was a _good_ set of clothing... but nothing for it. Yuzuki's guidance is invaluable, she finds, as the taste of essence threatens to distract her sense from the path. "This reminds me of... hmm. Almost like the Moshi lands, but... that was tamed. This is... wild. And there's so _much_ of it, too..."

"And that was the energy of the sun, like my own. This is... growth and life."

"I have heard stories of places like this," Yuzuki says softly, with evident reverence, "from the chronicles of my people, when we ventured beyond the borders of Rokugan. True, untamed wilderness, overflowing with power... I had not thought to find any within Rokugan itself. To still exist as such after a thousand years... it must be protected, either by the Phoenix, or by the spirits themselves."

"Or both." Sakura smiles. "The two might have a pact to keep the forest from being tamed like the Moshi lands."

"Perhaps so..." Yuzuki says, before tensing suddenly, "We might be about to find out..."

It takes no great gift of perception to notice what has set Yuzuki on edge. There is something coming, padding softly between the trees less than a hundred paces away, and Sakura could swear upon her life that it was not there before. It is growling, softly, a low rumble that shakes the air, and even at this distance she can smell the rich scent of blood upon its breath.

"Ah, yes."

Sakura tilts he head, stepping forwards. Making no threatening moves, she doesn't make any move to back down either- and she sends the barest hint of energy, almost on instinct, causing the sunburst symbol to appear on her forehead. A sign that she has been blessed by the highest of the spirits, to whichever spirit comes this way.

Yuzuki draws close, shifting her stance to cover Sakura's flank almost on instinct, but good sense sees her stay her hand from blade rather than offer potential insult. 

The spirit emerges into the clearing, and Sakura is reminded once more than creatures from beyond the mortal coil are not bound by the same laws of form and function that govern all true life. It is massive, easily the equal of Raiko in height and significantly broader across the shoulder, and where it’s four feet hit the ground the faintest echo of lupine howls rings out upon the air. 

"Greetings, Isawa," it says in a voice of stone and broken meat, "have you come to invoke the pact of your blood once more?"

Sakura's eyebrows climb slightly, but her tone is steady. "My apologies, honoured spirit, but I am not of the Isawa. I come on behalf of the Abbot of Seido Jurojin, seeking a herb that lies deep within the forest."

"Not an Isawa? But... wait, that light upon your brow..." the spirit breathes in, some great hound taking the scent upon the air, "My my... a sun-chosen? And a moonchild at her side, no less. I have not seen one of your kind in... many centuries."

Sakura nods, bowing respectfully. "That would not surprise me- to my knowledge, none have resided in Rokugan since the passing of the Eight Kami."

A part of her, itching with curiosity, wants to ask who the spirit saw last- but no, there are proprieties to be observed, here. Especially since this spirit does seem willing to talk.

"Eight?" The spirit laughs, the sound like grinding bones. "Of course. Eight."

Sakura tilts her head... then blinks, as she realises who the spirit must be referring to. "Eight I care to name unless the other is directly relevant to the discussion, honoured spirit."

"As you say," the spirit says with evident amusement, "what is your name then, sun-chosen? And what do you seek that would compel you to run such an errand? Fetching herbs..."

Sakura's expression is... carefully neutral, even though she suspects she's being quitely mocked. "Kakita Sakura. And as for my purpose... we are on a... pilgrimage, of sorts, to contact the Seven Fortunes for guidance. The Abbot says he requires a herb that is found within this forest- one that smells of the ocean- to draw the attention of Jurojin."

"Of course. And yours, moonchild?"

"Utaku Yuzuki," her lover says with a certain hesitance. Sakura gets the impression she’s still wrestling with what it means to be addressed as such.

"I see. A single herb..." the spirit sounds thoughtful, "No need to bring this all the way to the Dragon-Lord, I think, unless of course you wish to go so far."

Sakura smiles serenely, falling back on familiar patterns of politeness- with a respectful tone, of course. "I would not wish to cause more trouble for you than is necessary. If the Dragon-Lord would request we make our presence known, I would not wish for his displeasure fall on you if that is neglected. But if that is not needed, I will defer to your judgement, honoured spirit."

"Hmph. Coils-of-Emerald is always displeased about _something_ , so it should hardly matter," the spirit says with a grunt, "I know the herb of which you speak. It grows perhaps ten miles from here, in one of the rare domains of water beneath these boughs. I can take you there, but... one does not take from the Mori Isawa without paying a price."

Sakura nods. "I would not expect it to be otherwise- but I would ask what the price is."

"I have no need for your mortal coin, or anything you might forge by human hands," the spirit says, sinking down onto its haunches, "there are only three things I value - blood, prayer, and skill. Offer me that which flows in your veins, worship as you might any other god, or impress me with some display and I shall take you to that which you seek."

Sakura's head turns towards the hound-spirit, her expression unreadable. Especially with the blindfold. "I will be blunt- blood as an offering has me thinking of less... savoury spirits. I would ask what value it has to you before we make our choice."

The spirit laughs darkly.

"Blood has power, Sun-child," it says with evident amusement, "I would but take that power for my own, to savour as a fine meal, in a manner like that of any number of other spirits. There are places in this world where your own patron receives the gift of hearts torn from living chests, and the first Isawa wrought great miracles from the lifeblood of his own children."

Sakura blinks. 

Tries to process that first example. 

It... doesn't exactly come quickly, and the second is easier for her to seize on. "Wait, Isawa... did what? Exactly _how_ is that different from Maho?"

"I am no thing of law and magic," the spirit says with a snort, "I know of Isawa by the pacts his line holds with this forest, but the how and why, the name ‘Maho’... for these you should ask another. There are stages within the dragon’s court that could answer such questions, but if you balk at paying _my_ price, I can scarcely think what you might say to theirs."

"I begin to see why Shugenja are so valued," Yuzuki murmurs softly at Sakura's side.

Sakura nods in agreement. "If I may, honoured spirit..."

She turns to Yuzuki, a thoughtful look on her face. "Indeed. Your thoughts on which payment we should make?"

"Skill would be my preference," Yuzuki says after a moment’s thought, "a bushi at court might earn praise through a fine display of the martial arts, so perhaps the spirit seeks something of a similar nature?"

Sakura nods, before she turns back to the spirit. "What sort of demonstration of skill would you prefer, were we to choose that path?"

"Can you sing?" The spirit says in its rumbling voice.

"...I am more skilled with the biwa, but I can make an attempt at singing if that is your wish. Is there any particular subject you would have me sing of?"

"A... biwa? I do not know this word," the spirit sounds vaguely intrigued.

Sakura's head tilts, before she reminds herself that spirits are not as versed at courtly matters as samurai would be. "A... stringed instrument. But I left mine with my pony outside the forest, I am sorry to say."

"Then you might sing of things beyond these trees, or you might show me a test of steel... against your partner, perhaps," the spirit offers in turn, "Either would be sufficient."

"Hrm... Yuzuki, which would you prefer?"

"I am a passable singer at best," Yuzuki says with a shrug, "so I doubt I could be much aid there. I would be willing to spar, but... what would the terms be?"

"To the first true hit," the spirit says in a low growl, "you are children of the sun and moon. A single cut would not slay either of you."

"But you would require it to involve actually striking with intent to injure, rather than just to first blood?"

"If you would fight, I would have it be a _fight_ , not a fluttering dance with lengths of metal in your hands."

Sakura shakes her head. "I will not attempt it, then- I love Yuzuki too much to strike at her with that intent. A song it will be, then."

"As you wish," the spirit replies, though it sounds vaguely baffled by the reasoning. Yuzuki says nothing, but Sakura does not miss the way her breath catches in the throat at the Crane's confession of love.

Sakura removes her blindfold, handing it to Yuzuki as she steps out. She stands, her breathing steady. 

And then she begins to sing. She sings of the rest of Rokugan, her voice clear as her voice describes the lands of the Crane, light notes accompanying the description of farmlands and coast, the ocean breeze almost seeming to sing alongside her voice for a moment as the tune mimics crashing waves. She doesn't describe the sights, of course- but her song describes the sounds, the smells, the feeling of water lapping around her ankles when she walked along the sand as a child. Her song describes the serenity of Shiro Kakita, especially during the winter, when cold snow settles over the castle walls. She describes the sounds of the artisans working their crafts, depicting the beauty of nature. For a moment, she simply loses herself in the song, as she improvises her music for the spirit and for Yuzuki. 

And then... it comes to an end. She opens her eyes, a serene smile on her face as she turns her face towards the spirit.

"Hmm. Not bad," the spirit says at last, after a moment of silent contemplation, "I will never find beauty in walls and the scratching of artisans, but it is clear you do, and that was a fine song. I will consider your price paid."

The spirit rises to its feet and draws closer, moving with a liquid gait. "Get on. I have no desire to walk to the pools at your sluggish pace."

Sakura tilts her head, before moving towards the spirit. "Yuzuki, would you..."

Yuzuki draws near, slinging herself up onto the spirit’s back with an easy grace before leaning over and helping Sakura ascend to join her. 

"I don’t think I’ve heard you sing so well before," she says softly, calloused hands warm in Sakura's.

Sakura smiles as she sits in front of Yuzuki, enjoying the feel of Yuzuki close to her. "Hrm... I'm getting better at applying Lady Sun's gift to areas I haven't trained in, I think."

"So it would seem. I wonder where it will take you..."

The spirit’s hide is covered in fur, rough and matted, but since it would be rude to complain of such things (or of the blood-tinged stink) Sakura instead is left to focus on the sensation of Yuzuki’s arms around her waist, her body pressed against Sakura's.

"Hold on, godsblood," the spirit says... and then it _moves_.

The speed is incredible, beyond anything Sakura has ever encountered before. It is faster than the swiftest river or the fleetest steed, and despite the dense terrain the spirit moves with absolute freedom. Branches bend out of their path, rivers grow still and solid for the briefest of moments as they cross, climbs of brambles tickle her skin as they push through...

Sakura manages to hide it- but frankly, she's terrified. Oh, Yuzuki had done much the same last night, but that was Yuzuki. This was... different. And she could tell that the spirit was moving without a care for obstacles. It didn't take much to wonder what would happen if the obstacles didn't move instead by whatever trick the spirit was performing.

Yuzuki holds her close, tension in every muscle, and together the two of them grit their teeth and endure. Minutes past, one after the other, and then... they stop, the great spirit sliding to a halt just as abruptly as it first lurched into motion.

"There you are," it says, as Sakura regains her senses and note the spray of water in the air. They are at the top of a large... no, a series of smaller cliffs, each decorated by the falling form of a sizable river. The echoes of the falling water paint an image in Sakura's mind, laying out the series of shallow pools at the base and the clumps of trees growing in scattered pockets further out. "The herb you seek grows on the shore of the pool."

Yuzuki dismounts with what might almost be called unreasonable haste.

Sakura dismounts with almost as much haste. "Are there... any spirits here we need to pay attention for?"

"Minor sprites of the pools, but they have no interest in those not made of water," their impromptu steed grunts dismissively, "collect your ingredients and be gone. The forest is not safe for those who linger."

Then, without another word, it turns and begins to pad away, returning to the depths of the forest.

"Thank you."

Sakura turns to Yuzuki. "All right... do you see the herb?" At the same time, she starts to sniff the air, trying to smell the distinct scent of the ocean.

"Yes, there’s a small clump down by the water’s edge. You could..." Yuzuki says briskly, before pausing. "Wait, does it matter if you’re the one who gets it? Or... would it matter to Jurojin?"

"I'm not certain- there's an argument to be made that, since this is now as much your journey as mine, that we should gather it together. Why do you ask?"

"Well, the climb doesn’t look all that easy," Yuzuki says, and from the broken echoes Sakura would have to agree, "but I’m pretty sure I could just... run down it?"

Sakura pauses. "Well, from my experience yesterday, you don't have much trouble with carrying me..."

"I didn’t. It’s strange... that wasn’t strength, as such, and it wasn’t my normal precision that carried me down the mountain," Yuzuki says thoughtfully, "but... well, Lord Moon’s gifts are apparently more... physical?"

Sakura nods. "Hrm. That's... interesting... maybe something to do with Lord Moon's nature being different to Lady Sun's, although I'm not sure of how the differences link to each other. But still..." Smiling, the Crane holds out her arms. "I think I'd enjoy it much more than the ride we just had."

Laughing, Yuzuki takes Sakura in her arms, lifting the Crane off the ground with scarcely even a moment’s effort.

"Mm... there are, of course, other ideas that come to mind," she says quietly, holding Sakura close as she steps towards the edge of the cliff, "when one has this strength, and a beautiful woman in her arms..."

Sakura giggles, her cheeks turning pink. "O-oh? Do tell~"

"Maybe I’ll hang you somewhere quiet, all tied up like a work of art where no one else can see," she says, stepping neatly down the broken rocks of the cliff, sure footed despite the angle and the wet stones underfoot, "or carry you to the highest peak and watch you dance naked in the wind... don’t tell me you haven’t had some thoughts of your own, given the world of possibilities your gifts have opened up..."

The rich sea-scent of the herb puts it almost directly adjacent now, but Yuzuki’s arms are so comfortable...

Sakura blushes _heavily_ , now, even as she reaches out for the herb- and she can feel her breathing quickening, not just from _embarrassment_. "I, ah... _have_ given some thought to the fact that I could tell if anyone were around, or if we had some... privacy. And I must admit, the idea of, um, being bound in some secluded outside spot with just you to see it... has some appeal. Or, uh, being bound and slung over your shoulder- to tied to the saddle- to be carried there..."

"Mm... if this wasn’t the Mori Isawa, I’d have you right here," Yuzuki purrs against Sakura's throat, "as it is... carrying you over my shoulder until we find somewhere safer is a fine idea, but unless you’d be willing to go nude and tied up with your own clothes, we might have to forgo the bonds..."

Sakura blushes heavily, again, biting her lip. "Haha... I mean, after that river that started to dissolve the edges, I _am_ fairly certain they’re ruined anyway..."

"Oho? Well then, it would be a shame not to get at least one more use out of them..." Yuzuki says, her voice low and husky. She shifts position, still holding Sakura up, and then with a ragged tearing noise rips a long strip of the Crane's kimono free. "I’ll carry you out of here like a trophy, and take you on the outskirts. It will take time to get there, but they tell me patience is a virtue..."

Sakura smiles, blushing heavily- but _deeply_ aroused and enjoying herself. "All right... if you set me down, I can undress and give you more materials for your trophy..."

With a laugh, her lover sets her down. "Show me what I have won, then..."

Sakura laughs softly, removing her hakama- and then, her kimono, handing the clothing to Yuzuki (and Amaterasu's gift, far more reverentially). Bare except for her sarashi and footwear, she gently unwinds the chest binding- and then, removes her sandals and socks, leaving her completely nude. Wriggling her toes, Sakura blushes as she turns, giving Yuzuki a good look as her slender, toned body. "Keep my swords safe, of course..."

"Of course," Yuzuki replies, the sound of tearing cloth filling the air as she renders Sakura clothing down into more useful strips. She could just roll it up for much the same effect, of course, but leaving Sakura without anything decent to wear is half the point...

With calloused hands Yuzuki begins exploring the Crane's body, wrapping it tightly in bounds of silk as she goes, every knot accompanied by a single, lingering kiss.

Sakura blushes as Yuzuki starts to bind her, her hands curling into gentle fists then unclenching as she tries to keep her breathing steady, to control the growing heat building up inside her. And mostly succeeding- completely abandoning her control will come later, but for now it's almost like a game, to try and keep her composure even in this situation...

"Beautiful," Yuzuki whispers as she finishes her work, pressing a kiss to the base of her lover's throat, "you know, if this was a pillow-book, right about now is when the mysterious new arrival would step in..."

She pauses, but the forest remains still, the only motion the rushing tumble of the small waterfalls at Sakura's back.

"No? A pity. I would have rather enjoyed showing you off... two courtiers, comparing a work of art..." her hand begins to wander, stroking against Sakura's arms and cupping her breasts, dipping lower to more intimate places still, "We could compliment the smooth curve of your arms, the pale hue of your breasts... the beautiful flower between your legs..."

Sakura blushes heavily- not squirming too much, so as not to fall over from her bound ankles and knees (although she knows Yuzuki would catch her if she did), she instead tilts her head back slightly. "Mmm... flatterer... and so interested in fine things, for such a strong warrior of the Unicorn..."

"What can I say, we have a taste for the exotic... the unique... and you are mostly certainly unique, Sakura," Yuzuki says, pausing for a moment to slide Sakura's swords safely inside her own obi. It’s a bit of an awkward fit, but she manages it. "But, of course, this is not the place for such. I have my prize, but before I can really enjoy it..."

She bends her knees, ever so slightly, and with a faint grunt lifts Sakura up onto one shoulder. The Crane's hair hangs down the length of her back, while Sakura's legs are held securely against Yuzuki's chest, baring her more intimate places to the world. "I have to take it home."

With that, Yuzuki begins to run, muscles pumping as she settles into a smooth rhythm that avoids shaking Sakura about _too_ violently. She rocks back and forth with every step, a minor source of friction against her breasts, and the wind trails up and down her bare skin like a lover’s hands.

By all rights, this should be a far more frightening experience than riding on the wolf-spirit. She's bound, completely unable to tell where she's being taken, with even her swords out of her control. And yet... with Yuzuki's arms securing her, and with her bare chest against Yuzuki's back, it's nothing of the kind. 

Here, in her lover's arms, Sakura feels completely safe.


	10. The Fortune of Longevity

Beneath Seido Jurojin, there is a cavern, a natural space carved by wind and rain into the hard rock of the mountain’s heart. The only point of access is a long, narrow stairwell that descends through the rock from the temple above, a claustrophobic descent of several minutes, and a narrow opening in the far wall through which the cold wind of the mountains blows.

Asako Sabuto has brought Sakura and Yuzuki here, evidently surprised by their success but willing to hold to his end of the bargain, and now he moves around the cavern with a reverent grace. A wide pool of shallow water dominates the space, tinkling softly as it is stirred by the breeze, and one by one the old monk sets about filling a series of small clay dishes set around the edge of the pool with the herb they brought from the depths of the forest.

"I will ignite the offering and say the prayer," he explains in a quiet voice, "and then I will withdraw. You must meditate here, at the edge of the pool, and Lord Jurojin will decide what happens next. Your companion should withdraw with me."

"Hey," Yuzuki says with a start, shocked out of her contemplative silence, "why... you never mentioned that before!"

"Lord Jurojin has never appeared to more than one supplicant at a time," Asako Sabuto says mildly, "You may remain if you wish, but the Fortune may refuse to see either of you if you do. Or he may not. The will of such a being is not for me to guess at."

Sakura considers for a moment. In truth, this now concerns Yuzuki as much as it does herself, but on the other hand... they do want to actually speak to Jurojin. She makes her decision.

"This matter concerns both of us, Asako-sama, from what we learnt in the past few days. I would not seek to test a Fortune, but this journey is not mine alone, and the decision is not mine alone to make." She turns her head towards Yuzuki. "What do you think, Yuzuki-san?"

"I..." Yuzuki hesitates... then nods, firmly, "I would speak with the Fortune, if it is possible. I helped to retrieve the herb, and... I think he will want to speak with me, as well."

"Very well," Asako Sabuto says, robes rustling faintly as he shrugs, "I have given you what advice I may. Now then..."

Sakura doesn’t know what he does, precisely, but there is a faint snapping sound as he leans over the nearest bowl and suddenly the air is filled with the rich, smokey sent of burning herbs. With swift steps the monk makes his way around the chamber once again, repeating the trick each time, and soon the air grows thick with the scent.

Sakura sniffs the air, a small smile on her face as she moves next to Yuzuki. The thick scent of the smell is... not exactly unpleasant. If it grew _too_ thick, it might be so, but it wasn't just yet.

For now, there's not much she can do, though- so, she waits.

Finishing his work, the monk returns to stand at her side, before kneeling on the cold stone of the cavern floor.

"Here my plea, oh Lord of Heaven," he says, the words of the spirits spilling from his lips in a practiced stream, "I bring before you a petitioner, one who would seek your wisdom and guidance. Their heart is true, their arm is strong and their spirit is willing. I invoke you, and ask that you bless them with your words."

He bows low, pressing his forehead to the stone.

Sakura listens. She finds her power flowing more easily through her veins, now, and her hearing makes the _shift_ that lets her listen to spirits- as she tries to listen for any response...

The monk continues his prayer, but it is hard to pay attention to that when Sakura realises just where it is that she is. There is... something _otherworldly_ about this place, now that she searches for it, a sense that it is not quite part of the mortal realm. The pool before her seems shallow to a mortal’s perception, but with her ears opened she can hear the vast, echoing depths to which it plunges... and beyond, a sound that might almost be music.

Eventually Sabuto completes his rite and rises to his feet once more. He bows to the two samurai-ko, politely, then withdraws from the chamber without a word, returning silently to the temple above. Sakura is left with only Yuzuki for company in the cavern, who seems to be restraining the urge to pace back and forth with an effort of sheer will.

Sakura returns the bow, then smiles at Yuzuki. "Let us meditate, then, Yuzuki."

She kneels, her plain hakama settling against the stone floor, and listens to the music. That pool is... a portal of some kind. To Tengoku, perhaps?

Slowly, the water before them begins to move. It ripples and flows, moving together as though directed by some conscious will, like clay beneath the sculptor’s hands. It rises, taking shape and form akin to that of a human... and then, quite suddenly, the water is gone.

In its place stands a god.

"Well now," Jurojin, Fortune Of Longevity, says in the warm tones of a kindly elder, "it has been some time indeed since last I saw two of the Exalted together in this land."

Sakura breathes in. And bows in respect. "Lord Jurojin, I am honoured. I..."

She pauses, and tilts her head. "Forgive me, but... Exalted? I have not heard that term before. You refer to the blessings of Lady Sun and Lord Moon upon us?"

"Correct," Jurojin inclines his head, and with a wave of one hand summons for himself a wooden staff kin to those held by any number of old men. He leans against it, and the fact that there is only water beneath his feet seems to matter not a jot. "It seemed a... fitting term, for one chosen to serve as champion to a higher power, and there were certainly enough of you that..."

He pauses, and then shakes his head, setting what sound like a series of wind chimes tinkling in his beard. "Ah, where are my manners. When one is as old as I, novelty can be quite exciting, and the temptation to cast propriety aside grows remarkably strong."

"Certainly explains my grandfather..." Yuzuki murmurs under her breath.

Sakura can't resist a smile at that comment from Yuzuki. "...yes, Lady Sun did say there were more like me- and like the Kami- outside Rokugan. And I assume the same applies for Yuzuki- there are more outside Rokugan that Lord Moon has blessed with his power, as well. Your words imply a great number of them, Lord Jurojin?"

"Oh yes. You have a large family out there, should you wish to meet them one day... hmm, let me think," the god strokes his beard with one hand in a gesture eerily reminiscent of several of Sakura's old sensei, "I believe there were, perhaps, two of three hundred sun-children the last time anyone thought to count, and about as many chosen by the moon. The Maidens have their hundred, fixed as always... and then of course there are the dragon’s get, some twenty thousand strong at least."

Sakura thinks that Yuzuki is trying very hard not to choke.

Sakura tilts her head, thinking for a moment, carefully concealing her own shock. "...and none have been chosen from _here_ since Rokugan's founding. Unless... I've heard stories about Hida Kisada, the Crab Champion, and how he has powers beyond mortal men. But the Emperor in particular has not been chosen."

She takes a breath. "That's the reason we come seeking your wisdom and guidance. When it starts to become known that a Crane and a Unicorn have been chosen by the two highest of the spirits, and the Emperor has not been, people will start to speculate on what the intention of that choice is."

Sakura pauses for a moment, thinking things through- but also giving Yuzuki a moment to speak up herself.

"Oh, that first part is not too surprising," Jurojin says with a brief shrug, "Creation... that is, the world beyond the borders of Rokugan, is _very_ large. For every Exalted there are ten or even a hundred thousand mortals at the least."

"I... the Unicorn have always known the horizon holds many wonders, but... so many?" Yuzuki says in a hushed tone.

"Oh yes. Still, such matters are of a... distant concern, I think," Jurojin says with a thoughtful hum, "and your fears of political consequence are not unfounded. But this is not, I think, the ideal place to speak of such things. Come, let me extend you my hospitality, and we shall talk in comfort."

Sakura nods, standing. "We would be honoured to accept your hospitality, Lord Jurojin."

"Excellent. It has been too long since I have had guests such as you," the god says with a broad smile, and taps his staff against the water beneath his foot. With a rumbling roar the pool splits in two, water rushing to either side as though repelled by the touch of wood, and underneath is revealed a long pathway of cobbled stone.

"Yu-Shan... ah, Tengoku, in your native tongue... is forbidden to mortal visitors," Jurojin says, turning and making his way down the path as Sakura and Yuzuki hurry to keep up, "fortunately, neither of you qualify, and the rights of visitation held by the Celestial Exalted are still respected, even with the recent troubles."

Sakura tilts her head, as she follows the god. "When you say recent, Lord Jurojin... I know spirits see things differently to humans..."

The question goes unasked, but still obvious- what does he mean by 'recent', exactly?

"Ah, a wise question - these particular troubles started before Rokugan was founded, but have been brought into focus once more within the last year or two," Jurojin says thoughtfully, his staff rapping out a swift pattern on the stone as they walk, "To explain it in full would take, oh, a great many days. Let us simply say that just as the Clans Of Rokugan war with one another, so too do the Exalted. Sometimes, Heaven is drawn in on one side or another, and at other times individual gods find themselves allying with a particular faction."

"Are you... telling us that Heaven has its own politics?" Yuzuki says dubiously.

"Well, yes and no," Jurojin replies, as ahead of them the pathway ends in some kind of massive obstruction. A... doorway, Sakura thinks, though the scale is throwing off her normal points of comparison. "We obey the Incarnae, the highest of the gods, in much the same way as you obey the Emperor, and in that sense the will of Heaven is clear and unambiguous, free of politicking. However, there are smaller matters where one god might fight with another, or maneuver for advantage, particular when it comes to promoting the interests of conflicting factions in the mortal realm."

"The Incarnae... Lady Sun and Lord Moon? And from what you said about the Maidens having their own chosen, the Five as well. Are they... lesser Incarnae?"

Sakura frowns, before she taps her foot a few times against the stone to map out the obstacle ahead through the echoes- and she takes Yuzuki's hand, her fingers intertwining with that of her lover, a subtle request for Yuzuki to help guide her through a new environment.

"Lesser is a relative term," Jurojin says with some evident amusement, "One day, Saturn will weave an ending for even Lady Amaterasu. Is she the lesser of the two because she can only do so when the time is right, or the greater because she decides that End?"

There is a faint grinding noise, and ahead of them the doors slide apart. On the far side is... some kind of dining chamber, Sakura thinks, with a long table already set. The air is sweet and filled with mouth-watering scents.

"I see."

That... was a somewhat disturbing thought. But one driven away by the meal set in front of them. Sakura inhales, smelling the meal, a smile on her face. "Ah... your hospitality is truly great, Lord Jurojin."

"Oh, this is nothing," the old god says, though Sakura can tell he is pleased all the same, "please, sit. Let the servants attend to the meal."

And... yes, there are indeed others present in the room, figures of humanoid build who seem to share certain features with those of mortal animals. A man with a lion’s mane pulls out a chair for Sakura, while a woman with a dragonfly’s graceful wings bows low to Jurojin and makes a series of brief gestures that the god seems to understand implicitly. 

"Now then, let us speak of the obvious first, shall we?" Jurojin settles himself into his seat and lays the staff down by his side, "Do you desire Hantei’s throne?"

Sakura sits next to Yuzuki, and as Jurojin asks his questions, she opens her mouth to say _of course not_ \- but then, she stops. And thinks. 

After almost half a minute, she speaks up. "That... is a question I find harder to answer than I first thought. I, um... there are certain areas where none would be able to gainsay an Empress, of course." She glances towards Yuzuki for just a moment- her meaning clear to the Unicorn, at least. "From a strictly personal level, there are areas where I could be far more... open. But... that's not the only part of what decides things. The other question is 'do I think I could do the most good for Rokugan from the Throne?'. And..."

She pauses. "I think I could do a great deal of good for Rokugan, yes. Amaterasu's blessing is one meant to lead others. But the _how_ matters here, I think. Even if I could do good for Rokugan from the throne... that would not justify the damage it would do to the stability of Rokugan if it was taken by force. So... that is my answer."

"I see," Jurojin says thoughtfully, before looking to Yuzuki, "and you?"

"Not in the slightest," Yuzuki replies immediately, though whether her heart is sure or if she just used the same time to consider her own answer is an open question, "I am not the sort to rule, not for an extended period. I would always feel the desire to just... walk away, to leave the world behind the venture towards the horizon, and... well, I would be a poor choice to rule."

"There is no shame in knowing your own heart," Jurojin says kindly, "but from what you said... you fear that others may try to make the decision for you, I suppose?"

Sakura's head turns towards Yuzuki for a moment, but she leaves the comment be. They can talk about it later, and there are still options in any case.

"Indeed. Others might decide that Amaterasu's blessing is a sign that the time of the Hantei has come to an end. That they should be _removed_ from the throne. That is exactly what I do not want."

"Mm. It would not be the first time an Emperor has fallen because samurai preferred a particular replacement," Jurojin says with a nod, "although... tell me, how much do you know of prophecy? Of fate in general?"

"I know they exist." Sakura smiles serenely, with a hint of the self-deprecating behind it. "I know nothing of the precise workings."

"Unsurprising, and a situation shared by more than a few of the Fortunes," Jurojin says with a soft chuckle, "as it is... I am the Fortune of Longevity. I am not, however, Fortune of _Immortality_. My domain concerns all efforts made to strive against an inevitable end, all attempts to push it back further through health or medicine or magical intervention. As such, I am often consulted on such matters by my fellow Fortunes and those who serve them."

His voice grows grave.

"The Hantei are doomed, child. Their end is written in the stars. Within a generation or two they will no longer rule Rokugan, and while many have striven to extend their reign for as long as possible, such efforts are meeting with increasingly less success."

Sakura breathes in, as her path becomes increasingly clear. "Do you know how the end will come for them?"

"No. Few do - the Maiden of Endings must surely know, but she keeps her own council," Jurojin says in a serious tone, "From past experience, however, fate is a flexible thing. Rare indeed is the prophecy that says a man will die in one specific way at one specific time and place."

"That seems..." Yuzuki hesitates for a moment, "I am afraid I do not understand."

"Let us say a samurai, a great daimyo of his people, hears that he is fated to die within the year by the sword of his own kin," Jurojin explains, "he might assume that this means he will be betrayed by one close to him. He grows paranoid, and distances himself from his family, or seeks to slay them before he can in turn be slain. In his fear he commits many acts that are shameful to his honour, and which bring his attentions to the Emperor. He is ordered to commit sepukku... and his cousin stands as second."

"And so he dies by the sword of his kin," Yuzuki says softly, "but... if he had not grown so paranoid..."

"Then perhaps he would have sought a glorious end in battle, and led the attack upon another Clan in their border war... and been slain in a duel by his cousin, who married into that line," Jurojin nods, "Fate decrees that something shall end, but the form that end takes... that is for the living to decide. So it is with the Hantei."

Sakura nods. "And it falls to us to help guide that end to one that does not damage Rokugan itself- or if that is not possible, one that does not damage it beyond repair."

"Just so," Jurojin nods, "There are many forms that the end of the Hantei could take which I know of, and many more that are hidden from my sight. Some happen smoothly, and see only a minimum of death. Others are great calamities that claim all of Rokugan in the process."

Sakura tilts her head, considering her next words. "From your example... it seems to me that trying to rely too much on foresight to guide one's hand is a trap in itself?"

At this, the Fortune cannot help but laugh. It is a rolling, pleasant sound that somehow leaves Sakura feeling revitalized solely by the experience.

"Oh... my apologies, but that is the topic of some considerable argument in the halls of Heaven," he says with a smile. "A philosophical difference, if you will. I would say so, but if Fukorojin were here he would tell you the exact opposite - that problems merely arise when one lacks full knowledge of the prophecy in question. We would then proceed to argue the point at... considerable length."

"Our intention was to visit the shrines of all the Fortunes... although there may not be time, now." Sakura frowns, thinking. "The question is somewhat academic, however, Lord Jurojin, is it not? We do not have full knowledge of the prophecy in... question."

Her head comes up, as a horrible thought comes to her mind. "...does anyone in Rokugan know of the Hantei's doom already?"

Jurojin pauses at this. Sakura gets the distinct impression he is attempting to work out whether or not to tell her something.

Sakura's head tilts to one side. "If someone knows, and acts on the prophecy hastily, it may well tip events towards the disastrous, may it not?"

"True. But my concern is more..." the Fortune hesitates for a moment. "Ah, I suppose I should trust in the wisdom of Amaterasu, yes? Or at least accept that your own nature will lead you to get involved in this situation regardless."

He thinks for a long moment, then nods. "There are two people in Rokugan who know of Hantei’s doom. The first is Bayushi Shoju, Champion of the Scorpion. The second is Togashi."

At the first name, Sakura's head jerks towards Jurojin. At the _second_ , her on breaks completely, a look of absolute shock on her face. "Togashi is... alive. I... suppose I shouldn't be too shocked, after what Amaterasu said about the lifespan her blessing provides... or..."

Sakura thinks for a few moments. "...whose blessing _does_ Togashi have?"

"You know, I’m honestly not sure?" Jurojin says thoughtfully, "I think one of the Maidens, but... well, he’s always been a secretive sort. In any case, you can likely find him at his manse in the mountains, the... High House of Light, as they call it. Or you could venture south and see if you can convince the Lord of Scorpions to speak with you. Or you could continue on, and seek out my fellow fortunes for their blessing. Speaking of which, the fact that you have such thought for the consequences and were wise enough to seek me out for this talk has raised your quality in my eyes significantly."

Sakura smiles, bowing her head in acceptance of the praise. "It depends, I think, on how close Bayushi-ue is to action. And that depends on what he thinks will happen if he takes no action. The Scorpion would certainly kill an Emperor to protect the Empire if they thought it necessary."

She thinks for a moment, before turning to Yuzuki. "Your thoughts, Yuzuki? I think we need to abandon visiting all the shrines of the Fortunes. Just those that are already on our way to what we must do. We need to contact the Scorpion, but Togashi's insight would be invaluable as well- if nothing else, he likely has a plan as well, and we can avoid working against him accidentally."

"I don’t..." Yuzuki hesitates for a moment, "I don’t know, truly. The Scorpion have always scared me, and the thought of tracking down one of the original kami is... I don’t know how well I would do at either."

"You do not have to do such things together," Jurojin notes thoughtfully, "Though I understand desiring to stay by the side of one you love."

Sakura's cheeks turn pink at the casual reference to her love for Yuzuki. "In all honestly, I suspect Yuzuki could cover ground quickly enough with the benefit of Lord Moon's gifts that splitting up may be slower. I... am at a disadvantage on my own, even if Amaterasu's gifts have much reduced that, after all."

She considers for a moment, before turning to Yuzuki. "Togashi, and then the Scorpion. If we find a Scorpion on our route, I can try to pass on a request to see the Champion."

"Very well. Now... hm?" Jurojin looks to one side, and at the corner of the room Sakura can hear the lady with the dragonfly wings gesturing to him, "I see. Please, excuse me, this should only take a few moments."

He rises, nods to the two samurai-ko, then moves off in his servant’s wake. 

"Sakura..." Yuzuki says with a sigh, "We both know you are not quite _that_ disadvantaged. Find yourself a good horse and you could be... well, not as fast as me, but fast enough."

"If I need to write letters on this matter, I _cannot_ trust... this... to any scribe. And... your gifts seem to be suited to travel, I think?"

Sakura smiles, taking Yuzuki's hand. "I know I am not quite that disadvantaged, but it's enough that I truly do stand behind what I said. Plus, I think that if Togashi has plans, it'll be better to know them before we contact the Scorpion."

She pauses for a moment, before she turns to Yuzuki more fully. "And, um... I want to do this together."

"Sakura..." Yuzuki hesitates for a moment. "You told me... you told me that Lady Doji took her own life because she believed her siblings were gone. And now we find out that they were not."

Sakura nods. "That one was not, at least."

She breathes out. "I... will have _words_ for Togashi, yes."

"And if he will not see us?" Yuzuki says, pressing her point, "If he does not care? Because if a kami with the gift of foresight permits his sister to take her life, stands idly by when his people endure all the tragedies and pain that Rokugan has endured..."

She breaks off for a moment, mastering her emotions. "Why must we see him? Why must we drop everything and race to his side?"

"Ah. You think we shouldn't waste our time on him?"

Sakura frowns, thinking for a moment. "You... have a point. ...we send a message, then. To tell him we know. If he wishes to contact us from there, he can make the effort."

"I think I don’t like the Dragon and never have," Yuzuki says with a sigh, "So maybe my judgement is flawed. Do I hate the idea of going to him because it is unwise, or because of more personal animosity? It is... hard to tell, sometimes."

"But you still aren't wrong. We've consulted with those wiser than us, and now we find that time may be of the essence."

Sakura pauses for a while. "I, uh... it's not the only thing we need to talk about, though. After all, it looks like our answers to Lord Jurojin's question isn't going to be theoretical."

" _Is_ time of the essence?" Yuzuki says thoughtfully, "I mean, if the Hantei are doomed sometime within the next couple of generations... though I suppose it depends what the Scorpion plan to do..."

"I suspect they would absolutely kill an Emperor if they thought it would save the Empire."

Sakura tilts her head. "And that is my concern. If they do so, it may well unintentionally have the opposite effect, cause the Empire to tip into chaos."

"I don’t know them well enough, but... I suppose I could believe it," Yuzuki says with a nod, "still... you think something will remove the Hantei from power, and Amaterasu wanted someone ready to, what, step in and take their place?"

"Well, we know the Hantei will die out in any case... and given the lifespan of one with her blessing, it would extend the time that her chosen would be available. And give... a great deal of time to provide stability, as well."

Sakura frowns. "That said... I don't want to rule alone, but I don't want to force you into a position you'd hate."

"Oh I’m sure we could work something out, if it comes to that," Yuzuki says with a shrug, "you’d need strong subordinates and allies if you took the throne anyway, so I could stay with you or roam about solving problems as the need arose. Still, if you would make yourself a good choice for the role... then perhaps setting aside the plan of seeking out the Fortunes is not so wise."

She pauses, thinking for a moment. "Bishamon Seido is not far off the direct route to Scorpion lands, if you would seek out the underhand swiftly..."

Sakura smiled, leaning forwards to kiss Yuzuki on the cheek. "Apart from anything else, I'd make certain things about us _official_. But... you have a point. We visit Bishamon Seido, and then seek out the Scorpion Clan Champion."


	11. Bishamon Seido

The lands of the Lion Clan are some of the most open and prosperous in all of Rokugan. Descending from the mountains of the Phoenix, Sakura cannot help but notice the difference; here, endless fields of rice and wheat stretch to the furthest horizons, divided up into meticulously sized units by roads and villages laid down with a logisticians eye. The land is patrolled by the samurai of the Lion with unflinching discipline, and every day Sakura and Yuzuki find themselves challenged by a passing unit of soldiers and forced to produce her travel papers and badge of station.

Still, while the blue and white of Sakura's kimono draws endless challenge, the jade-green of a magistrate’s iconography commands respect, and the Lion let them pass; grudgingly, suspiciously, but inevitably all the same. And so they find themselves riding through the heartlands of Rokugan, Toshi Ranbo at their back, headed for the shrine to the second of the Seven Great Fortunes they wish to consult; Bishamon, Fortune of Strength.

Sakura... bears the constant challenges with far more politeness than many Crane might bear. She isn't here for fighting, after all, and given what... what she learnt, and what she will likely end up having to do, it would do her well not to actively antagonise the Lion. Or any clan, for that matter. 

She notices the differences almost immediately- the _smell_ of so many crops is a sharp contrast to the deliberately natural-feeling lands of the Phoenix. And there's far less variety in the scents here, too- starting pretty much immediately after they left Toshi Ranbo.

For the past few days, Sakura's noticed Yuzuki becoming somewhat more withdrawn. At first it was easy to attribute it to their surroundings - for a spirit made for the wild frontier, it is no surprise that her lover would find such regimented and tamed lands something of a unpleasant experience - but as time passes and she begins to hesitate before every word, Sakura knows there is something more.

Eventually, when they are far from any possible eavesdroppers, she speaks.

"Sakura..." she says slowly, almost hesitant, "I... You were there, weren’t you, when I met my... patron."

Sakura tilts her head for a moment- listening for anyone close, before she speaks. "I... was not there when he _appeared._ I did, however, bear witness to some of the conversation."

"Yeah. I thought so," Yuzuki says quietly, and Sakura can tell she’s choosing to avoid even the Crane's blind eyes, staring out at the horizon instead, "You haven’t... said anything about it, though. What he asked, what..."

Sakura takes Yuzuki's hand in her own, silent for a moment, before she speaks. "What you answered. In all honesty... the immediate aftermath drove it out of my mind somewhat."

Her tone is fond, warm, reassuring despite her words. "But yes, I heard."

"And you’re... not angry about it?" Yuzuki sounds almost disbelieving, "I... I tried telling myself it wasn’t true, that I spoke hastily under the stress of the moment, but... I couldn’t lie to him. He looked right through me, right to my heart, saw everything I’ve never even said, never dared to act on, and... showed me what my honour is actually worth."

"Oh, _Yuzuki._ "

Sakura's head turns towards her, the blindfold concealing much of her expression- but what is visible is determined. "I am less prepared to tear down the institutions of Rokugan than you might be, but... I cannot be angry with you, given that I am not prepared to uphold them completely, either. Not if it means that our relationship would continue to be presented to the world as... something we aren't."

"I... feel like I’ve failed," Yuzuki says, her voice very near a whisper, "as a Unicorn, as one of the _shiotomi_ , I am meant to be a bridge between the ways of my Clan and those of the rest of Rokugan. If we conduct ourselves with honour then in time even the most conservative clans will acknowledge our worth, but... it has been _centuries_ , and we are still seen as outsiders in our own home, and I start to wonder if we might be better off just... not bothering. Let Rokugan think what it wants of us, and either leave or force them to bend. When word gets out that I am blessed by Lord Moon my Clan will turn to me for word on what the heavens want of them, and I... I do not know what to say."

Sakura tilts her head. "I could say much, Yuzuki. I could say that at least one Crane thinks you have as much place as any samurai, and I will challenge anyone who says otherwise. I could speak of the kinship we _do_ share. But... honestly, if you really did want to leave forever, I suspect I would join you- at least after I knew that Rokugan was safe from this crisis that we now know is coming. That said..."

The Crane smiles, now. "You heard what Jurojin said. And... well, no Emperor- or Empress, in this hypothetical case- has ever taken a Unicorn as bride. I would not ask you to stay at court- I know you'd hate it- but... that would make you the more visible of the two of us, I think. I think it would do a great deal for the acceptance of the Unicorn as a whole, hm?"

Yuzuki pauses, and looks around at Sakura. 

"Did... you just propose marriage?"

Sakura's smile grows wider. "Yes."

"...well, uh," Yuzuki says, and Sakura can almost _feel_ the blush rising on her cheeks, "...yes?"

The Crane giggles, leaning to kiss her on the cheek. "I so rarely get to make _you_ blush, Yuzuki... but if things go as it seems they will, if I do take the throne... then Rokugan can, frankly, give us this much. I... will most likely have to renounce my family and clan- it would not do for the Empress to be so blatantly of one clan. So, there is... not so much of a need for an heir, especially given our long lifespans. We can take the time to find options. And if I don't take the throne, if we end up travelling together... then who would there be to tell us no? But one way or another... we _will_ be married one day. That, at least, I promise you, Yuzuki."

"I’ll hold you to that," Yuzuki murmurs back, catching Sakura's chin with one hand and leaning in for a much longer, more heated kiss. "My Empress-to-be..."

-/-

Sakura hears the shrine of Bishamon several miles out, and smell it even before that. Seido Jurojin was a place of ink and incense, a realm of healing and medicine attended to by pacifistic monks and those who aided them, surrounded on all sides by imposing mountains.

Bishamon Seido, by contrast, is a _fortress_.

Armour clinks and steel sings, oil burns and voices roar, and it takes Sakura long moments to distinguish the invocations of the priests from the boisterous cries of drilling samurai. Stone walls bend the wind that blows in across the open plains, and she can hear the faint creak of bowstrings as sentries in their towers mark her and Yuzuki's progress with killing eyes. 

The gates stand open, but for how long...

Sakura sighs, as she speaks to Yuzuki. "Of course they would not be so... welcoming as in Phoenix lands. And, possibly, the best example of why I said that I would need to renounce the Kakita if I took the throne."

She pauses for a moment, as she considers how to approach this- before she rides forwards, slowly. "This one requests entrance to this mighty fortress- I have a task that requires me to speak with the abbot of the Shrine of Bishamon."

She can feel a certain tension in the air as the guards on the wall study her, the colors of her kimono, and each other. Then one calls down to her in a tense voice.

"Are you Kakita Sakura?"

Sakura blinks in surprise. "I am."

Jurojin. He _did_ say he would send ahead word... which of course, meant that a fortress that _trained the most elite Matsu unit_ knew a _Kakita_ was coming. 

This is what might be called a mixed blessing.

"Then it is not the abbot with who you have business," the guard replies, as behind him one of his comrades knocks an arrow to his bow and fires it into the sky. Sakura hears a faint hiss as whatever kind of signal mechanism attached to the arrow activates. "Matsu Ketsui-dono, Daimyo of the Matsu Family, requests your presence on the training fields."

Sakura tilts her head, and then turns slightly to Yuzuki. "Well. It seems we're expected."

And then, she looks up and bows, slightly. "I would be honoured."

"That seems like a poor omen," Yuzuki murmurs in response, and Sakura feels her adjust the weight of her sword in unconscious reflex. 

"Through the gates, second street on the left, compound at the end," the guard calls down to them, and there is a certain tension... no, _anticipation_ , in his voice. All throughout the temple Sakura can hear the inhabitants reacting to that arrow, murmuring to each other in eager query, shifting their routes and heading for the destination so named to observe.

"From what I have heard from Bishamon, he may simply think we deserve to be seen publicly- which is sooner than I personally would have liked, but... it is his decision. Let us see what is in store." Sakura urges her horse forwards, following the directions she's been given.

Riding through the interior of Bishamon Seido is almost exactly like making her way through a military encampment, and the sheer quantity of samurai on hand only reinforces that impression. They watch the pair with an almost predatory interest, seeking to divine what is so interesting as to demand a Daimyo’s involvement, but none speak a word or seek to bar their path as they advance. 

The training fields are a wide, open expanse of tiled stone and creaking wood, stamped flat and smooth by the pounding of a thousand feet for centuries on end. Bags of sand stand at even intervals, ready to be spread over any fresh blood spilt here, and around the perimeter a wide road is already filling rapidly with curious observers, drawn here to watch the coming encounter with naked interest. None set foot upon the field itself, however, for that is the claim of the Lion’s Pride.

Sakura can _feel_ them watching her; a hundred women of the Matsu line, heroes and veterans all, clad in the finest armour and bound with ties of blood and loyalty stronger than any chain. They eye her in silence, waiting to see what she will say... waiting to know if her blood is theirs to claim this day.

Sakura dismounts gracefully, before walking forwards, her expression smooth, her _on_ perfect. She's come dressed in her hakama today, rather than a more formal outfit- after all, those are not fit for the road, but also... she's come ready to battle if necessary. She can feel the warmth running through her veins from Amaterasu's obi... and today, it seems, she may test the protection it brings. The Crane taps her foot against the ground subtly, determining from the echoes where the Daimyo is, and then bowing deeply to her, as befits even a magistrate greeting a daimyo. "Matsu-dono, this one is present as you requested."

At the very heart of the Lion’s Pride - who often serve as bodyguard and retinue, she recalls - one woman rises slowly to her feet.

Matsu Ketsui is dressed for war. Her movements echo with the musical chime of blessed armour, and at her waist sits a sword that seems to hum faintly with a living pulse. She is tall, packed with muscle, and blessed with a veritable mane of silken hair that cascades gently down her back.

The resemblance to the woman Sakura saw in her dreams is uncanny. 

"Kakita Sakura," she says, and in her tone is a murderous rage scarcely leashed by honour as unyielding as the mountains, "I have heard your name before. Bishamon-no-kami spoke to me in my dreams, telling me you would come... that you sought his blessing for your own. He did not speak of why."

Sakura pauses. "He, I suspect, left that to me. Either as part of his test, or simply because it is in his nature. And while I wish not to have what I am about to reveal become known across the Empire just yet... it would do you a disservice and a dishonour to try to conceal or deceive, Matsu-dono."

With a thought, a pulse of the sun's golden energy surges... and a sunburst appears on her forehead, just above her blue blindfold. "I seek both Bishamon's blessing- and just as importantly, his guidance in whatever form it might take, so that I might more fully understand for what purpose exactly I gained _this_ blessing."

The Lion Clan are famed for their discipline, and so there is no explosion of whispers, so sound of shock or outrage... there is only _silence_ , as all across Bishamon Seido samurai and monk alike fall quiet, studying Sakura with a level of intensity she has never felt before.

Matsu Ketsui draws her sword, and she can hear the faint song of power as it cuts through the air. 

"Bishamon is Fortune of Strength, and will bless only those who embody his virtues," she says in a voice all but boiling over with wrath, "In his sight I challenge you, _Kakita_. Prove your worth."

Sakura nods, walking forwards, and then... she bows. "Of course, Matsu-dono."

A look of calm concentration on her face, she settles into her stance, one hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw. Just an ordinary blade, unlike the obvious magic in the Matsu Daimyo's blade... but in her, there is magic enough.

The world starts to fade away, her hearing focusing more and more on her opponent. There is nothing beyond her, the dirt of the arena... and her opponent.

Ketsui _growls_ in approval, sinking into a stance of her own. There is no serenity in her stance, no detachment in her mind, only the pure and absolute _focus_ of a true veteran.

And as Sakura drops into her stance... she knows. She has the initiative here. For an instant, she slips into a moment where she is in communion with the world, her mind and power fully centered and balanced. 

And then, the balance breaks and she _moves._ Her sword flashes out from the sheathe, striking blindingly fast, almost too fast for the eye to follow as her power lights up like a bonfire.

In perfect harmony, Ketsui responds to the attack, her blade striking out with a reflexive speed to put serpents to shame. A hasty defense, but a skilled one all the same.

The defense is brilliant, but not perfect, and the Daimyo is forced to give ground to avoid taking a deliberating wound. She growls, shifting her footing... and then she _roars_.

No human throat should be able to make such a sound. It is the hunting cry of a lioness, and as the Daimyo gives it voice Sakura can _feel_ the air changing around her. There is the scent of blood and fur, the taste of iron in her mouth, the sense that something vast and hungry is watching her with interest. 

It is a sensation she have only encountered before in the presence of the divine.

And here... fighting a _Matsu_... there's something in Sakura's soul that responds, the part of it given to her by Amaterasu. There's no flashback, no memories of fighting Matsu... but even so, Sakura knows that the part of her that was once Akodo has done this before. And despite herself, she can't help it. 

A very un-Crane-like _grin_ spreads across her face, as her blade returns to its sheathe with a _clack_ \- and then, almost as quickly, it speeds out again. Not with the expectation of causing injury, but Sakura's sheer _speed_ will serve to keep Matsu Ketsui off-balance, ready for the pounce.

Again the Daimyo’s sword flashes out, keening softly as it cuts the air and ringing like a bell where it meets Sakura's own... and gods, she is strong. Stronger than Sakura, stronger than Yuzuki... in this moment Sakura suspects the force she feels behind Ketsui’s blows would be enough to overpower the Ogre she met upon the path to the Moshi lands.

It makes sense- Matsu always _was_ strong. Sakura's far faster than she, though. 

Time to put that to use. Again, the sword returns to its sheathe. 

_Positioning is vital in any battle, whether between armies or between two men._

Sakura _moves_ , her footwork light and easy as she forces Ketsui to turn to keep her in view- and then, with barely a thought, her sword strikes out again, flickering in the air as it seems to move even _faster_.

Speed and skill find a way through the Daimyo’s defense, steel slipping between the plates of her armour to cut at the flesh beneath... and rebounding with a jarring _clang_ as what feels very much like living stone takes the place of mortal skin.

"The Matsu have always known the Kakita to be faster," Ketsui says with a kind of vicious glee, "but on a battlefield, speed alone is not enough to secure victory. One must have strength, skill and _fury_ besides."

Then she moves, taking the offensive with a furious roar, and behind her blows is all the power and wrath a thousand years of bloody enmity can provide. Her skill is blinding, her fury terrifying, and the strength behind each viciously arching strike enough to shatter rock and leave mere human flesh little more than a bloody ruin.

"I have skill enough to spare, Matsu!"

The words slip out- and for a moment, Sakura really isn't sure whether she means it as a _family_ name- skill and tactics vs strength and fury always _was_ a point of contention between Akodo and Matsu as well, although a friendlier one than between her and Kakita. 

But... she is not just Akodo, who could certainly take the attack head-on. She is _Sakura_. And she responds as such- tilting her sheathed sword and scabbard just enough to deflect, rather than stop, the blade- and moving her body enough that each blow doesn't quite hit her, but rather catches and slows from cutting through the silk of her kimono.

Even so deflected, the blow carries enough force to knock Sakura wildly off balance.

"Then use it!" Ketsui roars, already seeking to follow up, "Don’t dance around like an actor - that’s a sword in your hands, not a feather!"

"Very well."

The words seem so _familiar_ as Sakura rolls with the blow, coming up from the ground- her defence has cost her a sleeve, which she leaves on the ground as she darts under the follow-up, seeking to cut deep into Ketsui's side with a strong two-handed foe. Ketsui's right- she's not familiar, not as good at the- _perfectly legitimate_ strategy of wearing her opponent down. Still... her speed _can_ give her the advantage, still.

Ketsui steps to one side, turning her blade to deflect the assault, and Sakira is struck by the knowledge that she’s been fighting and killing Kakita for _years_. She knows how the family moves.

She proves it a moment later, lashing out with a vicious strike at the exact spot she clearly expects Sakura to move to, aiming to turn the Crane's speed against her and spill her blood upon the ground.

Sakura realises how she's fighting a moment before Ketsui's strike. 

The Kakita response would be to move sidewards- and right into her strike. 

Sakura, instead, moves _forwards._ Twisting her body slightly as she does so, so that the blow is taken by her kimono rather than her body. It's a move entirely unlike the Kakita- indeed, the lack of care for how it leaves her looking is...

More like a Lion. More like _Akodo_. 

More like Matsu.

Moving like a Matsu, when confronted by the Matsu Daimyo, may have been a mistake.

Ketsui acts without thinking, twisting her blade just so, and the strike that was intended to only tear the kimono instead bites deep into the flesh beneath. Blood spills across the tiled floor, and Ketsui steps back in wary shock.

"What... who taught you those moves?" She growls, just audible over the pain.

Sakura breathes heavily, but her face is smooth, her expression without pain as she speaks just as quietly. "This blessing... was, as I understand it, a piece of Amaterasu-no-kami's own soul. But... it is not the first time she has given out such a blessing. And, as I have been finding these past few weeks, some memories of the _last_ one to hold this blessing have been... bleeding through."

She steps back as well, her expression set.

"But only a Lion should know to fight like that, and the only one who..." Ketsui says... then freezes, quite suddenly, regarding Sakura with a new and uncertain gaze.

Sakura nods. "Indeed. It... is not what I would have expected, but I trust Lady Amaterasu's wisdom."

Ketsui works her jaw for a moment, evidently uncertain. 

"Yield," she says at last, "I would consult the priests, for verification and... advice."

Sakura nods, then sheathes her blade- and bows, deeply. "I yield to one of obvious superior skill, Matsu-dono."

"Experience, perhaps," Ketsui replies, shaking her head, "you had the advantage there, near the start, but you lacked the confidence to commit. It..."

She stops, as though suddenly noticing herself providing feedback as if to a student at the dojo, then shakes her head. "I will have the monks tend to your wound."


	12. Questions of Duty

In the aftermath of the duel, the Lion have Sakura and Yuzuki moved to a small cell in the main temple, fit for a meditating monk. The only furniture is a rough mat and a small bowl filled with water. As promised, a monk comes by shortly thereafter with bandages and ointments to tend her wounds... and is promptly chased off by a scowling Yuzuki, who takes the supplies and insists on tending to Sakura's injury herself.

"I will never understand the Lion," she says tersely, binding Sakura's wound shut with gentle hands and applying the ointments necessary to deaden the pain.

Sakura hums- her blindfold removed, she's stripped down to the waist so Yuzuki can access the wound, only her _sarashi_ preserving dignity. Not that it's anything Yuzuki hasn't seen before, of course, but there are others here to consider. 

She doesn't let the pain show- normally, she might let her guard down around Yuzuki, but she's still... trying to process it. "War is what they live for- and as such, they tend to view many things through that lens. It's entirely likely that Bishamon's influence was felt there as well- he... was certainly watching that fight."

Her lips press together. She doesn't have to say the rest- he just saw her being defeated by one unblessed by any kami. It's... not exactly a good feeling.

"Hm. Were your one of my sisters, I would order you to stay off your feet for weeks at least, if not months, and tell your lord a full recovery was unlikely," Yuzuki says thoughtfully, tying off a knot in the bandages to hold them in place, "as it is, the bleeding has already stopped without my aid. Rest would be a good idea, but I cannot speak for time."

She pauses for a moment. "And if you try to tell me that woman carried no blessing of her own I will call you a fool."

Sakura tilts her head. "That makes sense- that Amaterasu's blessing allows one bearing it to heal more quickly. And no, you are correct. There was blessing of some sort upon her. And... she is more experienced than I, yes. But still, I outright missed the perfect time to strike, looking back on that fight. I can _hear_ Kakita Kanade-sensei's scolding if she ever heard of that."

The Crane frowns. "Remember the dream I had, a few weeks back? The memories came back... far stronger, during that fight. Strong enough that Matsu-dono noticed that several of the techniques I used were not _Crane_ techniques. And that is the issue- I was not fighting to my strengths. It's not what Matsu-dono deserved, or Bishamon."

"I did notice," Yuzuki says thoughtfully, sitting back and passing Sakura the discarded clothes - absent the ones now marred with bloodstains, at least. "I had thought you were trying to make some kind of point, but..."

Sakura shakes her head, pausing. "No. The memories were strong enough that for a moment, I think I had trouble remembering we were a Kakita and a Matsu fighting, instead of... another fight. Not entirely unexpected that such a strong-willed man would have left strong memories... but let us hope they do not get to that point again. I am _not_ Akodo, and it will not help the duties this blessing has given to fall into bad habits. I must heed the advice the memories give me, but remember that I am myself."

"That is... concerning. I’ve not yet dreamed in such a manner, but..." Yuzuki pauses in thought, "well. I can see certain... consequences, all the same, given my own blessing."

"Indeed- especially given we know not yet who of the kami your blessing comes from. Or even if it _was_ one of them- We know that others have been given blessings like ours, after all." Sakura pulls her kimono on over her torso. "Thank you, Yuzuki."

"You are welcome, but I was not speaking of memories. Even without them..." Yuzuki takes one of Sakura's hands and lifts it to her face, letting the Crane feel the curve of her chin. 

Then she changes.

Sakura can _feel_ her skin move, feel the bone beneath realigning itself, feel her whole frame melting and running together like wax before the flame. Then it stops, and a new woman entirely sits before her.

"My gifts will likely change me," her lover says, her voice a perfect echo of Sakura's own.

Sakura blinks. "Are you... are you _me_ right now? I did... um. That’s a surprise. And, ah, interesting."

As she thinks for a moment, she can’t help but blush a little as her hand rises to Yuzuki's cheek, feeling the... different... curve of her face.

"In form, yes," Yuzuki replies, sitting still while Sakura explores the curves of a hauntingly familiar face, "I don’t get memories or knowledge, as far as I can tell. And... I don’t think I can become just _anyone_. It has to be... I think some kind of bond, an existing relationship of some kind? I’m fairly sure I could be Raiko if the need took me..."

"It's an _incredibly_ useful ability, even so. I can think of a number of uses for it..."

Sakura tilts her head, her sightless eyes open in surprise and a bit of wonder. "Fortunes, it's odd to experience my face from this angle... does my blindness come with that form as well?"

"No. I’m not sure why, since you were blind from birth, but..." Yuzuki shakes her head and then, with another soundless series of changes, returns to her own form. "It makes some sense, in general anyway - Lord Moon changes his face every week or so, on a cycle - but the thought of what this might mean is... concerning."

Sakura hums softly as she thinks. "As in, if you're taking on this aspect of his nature, what else might you take of his nature? I don't think the gifts can make you completely other than what you are, at least- after all, we know at least some of the Kami had his blessing. Possibly even Shinjo, although that's just a guess on my part."

"I suppose I will just have to find out," Yuzuki says with a faint sigh, "I could speak to the priests here, I suppose. They might have some insight, or point me to someone who does."

Sakura nods. "If nothing else, you might be able to see if the Ikoma have anything- none meet their knowledge of history."

From the hallway beyond their cell Sakura can hear the brisk _clink_ of an armoured samurai in motion. He stops just outside the door and bows politely. "Kakita-san, Matsu Ketsui-dono wishes to speak with you. If you would follow me?"

At the sound of the samurai, Sakura stands steadily- and without sign of the remaining pain from her injury. "Of course. I will see you later, Utaku Yuzuki-san?"

-/-

Matsu Ketsui has shed her armour and set her katana aside, but even so she still feels like a woman on the verge of throwing herself headfirst into danger. Sakura begins to suspect this might just be how she is all the time. She meets the Crane in a small chamber tucked away down one of the temple’s many side corridors, where small urns sit in tiny niches all across the walls and rolls of paper lie tightly bound on wooden shelves.

"I thought to consult my ancestors for guidance," she says as Sakura enters, her guide dismissing himself without a word, "on what to do in this... unprecedented situation. They are silent."

Sakura tilts her head. She doesn't notice an offered seat, so she remains standing- the pain isn't that bad, truly. After a few moments, she removes her blindfold, tucking it into her sleeve before she speaks. "I... am not surprised, in truth. While Lady Sun has given her blessing before to those within Rokugan, the Kami did not have the history of past bearers of their blessings that I do."

"Lady Matsu always taught us that, to an honourable soul, the correct course of action is obvious within three breaths. All that remains is to take it," the Daimyo says thoughtfully, turning to face you, "And yet now I find myself uncertain. You hold Akodo’s memories, but you are not him. You share part of his soul, yet he still rests in Yomi. You carry the power and essence of those who shaped this Empire... but you are a _Kakita_."

Sakura remains silent for a long moment. "I... have pondered this question, Matsu-dono, ever since that night where for the first time I dreamt of _seeing_ \- and it was of seeing the Lady Matsu. I believe that Lady Sun chose Akodo's power to give to me rather than that of Lady Doji for a purpose- and I have thought on what that purpose was, although I can only speculate on this, rather than being certain."

"Speculate, then," Ketsui says with a nod, "Perhaps your thoughts will bring me additional clarity."

Sakura nods, then continues. "There are two main possibilities, one which I consider unlikely but worth mentioning, and one which I consider more likely, but... I will get to that. The first is that it is a message to the Crane and Lion. The purpose, in this case, would be obvious- but I consider this unlikely. Given the nature of the conflict between our families and Clans, the message would be too easily misinterpreted. And I think the Lady Sun knows this- for me to remain a Kakita, to remain part of the Crane, while bearing Lord Akodo's power would... simply raise tensions. Which leads directly to the second possibility- that it is a message to me quite directly, but one that Lady Sun wished to lead me to realise rather than speaking it outright."

Her voice doesn't tremble, her mask perfect- despite her next words. "I believe it is a message that my blessing is not for the benefit of the Crane alone, but all of Rokugan- and that the duties that blessing brings will require me to renounce my ties to the Crane. It is... a message that fits with other things I have learned recently."

"Foolishness," Ketsui says with a snort, "to think that Lady Sun would wish you an oathbreaker? Ridiculous. If she wished to lay a blessing on all of Rokugan, absent Clan tension, she might have picked a Hantei... or even a ronin, I suppose, though the idea that one could be worthy is dubious in the extreme."

"...I would agree with you normally."

Sakura pauses, before continuing. "Bishamon is not the first who I sought out- I went to Jurojin first. He informed Bishamon I was coming, and also told me of a prophecy- one that only four people know, now. I would not tell most, but for all the grudges between our families, the honour of the Matsu is beyond reproach. I will tell you, if you wish- but regardless, the prophecy makes perfectly clear why Lady Sun would not choose a Hantei."

"Pfgh. Prophecy," Matsu Ketsui shakes her head, the rustle of her long hair filling the quiet room, "do you know what prophecy is, Kakita-san? It is cowardice. It is an _excuse_ , a comforting lie one can cling to in order to avoid their responsibility."

"Matsu-dono, if I wished to take the easier path, the one that was more comforting, I would pretend I had never heard this prophecy. But my duty, my _responsibility_ cannot allow that. And it cannot allow me to ignore who else has heard this prophecy."

Sakura's face is smooth as she talks. "To ignore what it represents would be an abandonment of my duties, both as an Emerald Magistrate and those that Lady Sun has given me with this blessing."

"Speak, then," Matsu Ketsui says with a shrug, "Assuming you have reason to share it with me, specifically, since I lack much interest one way or the other. I have heard prophecies before, and never changed my path."

Sakura tilts her head. "In truth, then... the only reason I have is that it might convince you. But... Akodo did say that when you know your own duty, you do not need to convince anyone else of it, did he not?"

"That he did," the Daimyo says with a nod, "but my point is a simple one - you said you would tell me if I wished to know, and now you speak of attempts to convince me and your uncomfortable duty. Do you wish my support in some endeavour, Kakita-san, or simply a reassuring voice in your ear, to drown out the doubt?"

Sakura smiles. "The support of the Matsu would be invaluable given what I think is about to happen- but to ask it of you would be presumptuous of a Kakita in the extreme."

She pauses. "That said, I have done you a disservice, Matsu-dono. I am... too used to polite indirectness. According to Jurojin, the Hantei are doomed. Within the next generation or two- his exact words- the line of Hantei will no longer rule. And of those who know, my concern is chiefly with the Scorpion Clan Champion."

"Mm. Concerning, but not insurmountable," Matsu Ketsui says thoughtfully, "It would have been good to know _how_ the Hantei are meant to fall, but between the strength of the Lion and the cunning of the Scorpion I imagine we can cover most possibilities. Perhaps the Phoenix might be consulted, in case the doom is magical in nature..."

Sakura tilts her head. "Togashi-no-kami may have opinions on the matter, given he is the other who knows. Or he may share Jurojin's opinion- that the ending has already been delayed as long as it can be."

She considers. "If the fall _can_ be averted entirely, it would be far preferable. My plan after meeting Bishamon was to travel to Scorpion lands- I have sent a message to Bayushi-ue, so that I might be able to determine what plans he already has- I am very aware that the Scorpion, even when viewed in the best possible light, view their duty as protecting Rokugan through deeds considered unthinkable by honourable samurai. If such a deed is their plan to deal with this prophecy, it would be a disaster."

"Togashi-no-kami yet lives?" Matsu Ketsui says with some surprise, "How strange. Presumably he has either been impersonating his own descendants for centuries, or the Clan Champion of the Dragon holds no such authority. Which... utterly violates large swathes of the diplomatic arrangements between our two Clans. Hm."

"My own reaction was to remember how a large part of Lady Doji's death was due to grief at losing all her siblings, while he remained in hiding, perfectly alive but content to let his sister believe otherwise."

Sakura's words are perfectly neutral. "But that reckoning will have to wait- the survival of Rokugan is more important than any other concern."

"Yes... a survival you would ensure by walking headfirst into the Scorpion’s nest, there to somehow uncover and alter the plans of the most experienced schemer in all of Rokugan," Ketsui says dubiously.

"Amaterasu's blessing does not just aid in combat, Matsu-dono. It has aided me in uncovering the truth of things in the past, and will allow me to see hidden traps in that scorpion's nest, as you say."

She pauses. "And as to altering his plans... I suspect I will do so simply by revealing the blessing of Lady Sun to him. After that, I should be able to convince him not to act rashly."

"Revealing your blessing to me resulted in a challenge to a duel," Ketsui points out.

Sakura's head turns towards her flatly. "Matsu-dono, I was a Kakita coming to seek Bishamon's blessing. Your point is taken, however- and that duel has shown that I will need more experience at using Lady Sun's gifts in combat before I go to meet him, in case I need to make my way out of the scorpion's nest."

She breathes out, almost a sigh. "...my hope, however, is that he sees the intention of Lady Sun's gift the same way Jurojin did. If he does, and responds with hostility, then he is simply taking this opportunity to seek power, and deserves a traitor's punishment. If he does not, however, then I can use that, make it clear to him that trying to force matters will not work- and convince him to try to avert the prophecy first. And if that is already his plan, or if he seeks to wait for the prophecy to fulfil itself and then mitigate the consequences, then we can work with him."

"I think working with the Scorpion in any but the most dire situation is foolishness, but you are not a Matsu, so I cannot order you otherwise," the Daimyo says, before pausing, "speaking of which... you have not told your lord of this?"

"I would argue that this is the most dire situation, Matsu-dono... and no. As an Emerald Magistrate, I serve the Emerald Champion- but currently, the position is vacant. I cannot trust this to paper, either, and I do not wish to leave the matter of Bayushi-ue unaddressed, lest his plans are carried out and the worst comes to pass."

"I was thinking of the Crane Champion, Kakita-san, or your family Daimyo perhaps," Ketsui says sternly, "Perhaps you are correct, and Bayushi-ue is a higher priority... but even if that is so, I would spare some thought for your eventual apology."

"An Emerald Magistrate should not put their duties towards their clan ahead of those towards the Empire." Sakura tilts her head ever-so-slightly.

"Hm. If you say so," Matsu Ketsui shakes her head, dismissing the line of thought, "now then, you wish to travel into the lands of the Scorpion. Perhaps you should take an escort."

Sakura nods. If things are as the Matsu suspects... "An escort would be appreciated, Matsu-dono."

"I’ll send some of the Pride, then," Ketsui nods sharply, "the conversation has... I would not say clarified much, but I have a finer grasp of your intent now. I suppose I shall simply have to see what you do next."

She pauses thoughtfully.

"Also tell Akodo-dono, I suppose."

Sakura nods. "I will not ask you keep it a secret from your lord- however, I do request that it not be spread further, if I might be so bold."

"Hundreds of samurai witnessed our duel, Kakita-san," Ketsui notes, "the loss of any secret to your nature is now only a matter of time."

"True. I was more speaking of the prophecy. Certainly now that the secret of my nature will spread, the last thing anyone desires or needs is for people to know of both, and conclude that Amaterasu means for _me_ to be the... replacement."

Even if they would probably be right, she doesn’t add.

"If the Hantei fall and we are for some reason still alive in the aftermath, I will permit talk of such things," Matsu Ketsui says in a tone of deadly calm, "until then, speak not of such treachery."

Sakura nods. "It is as you say, Matsu-dono."


	13. In a Land of Secrets

It is remarkable, Sakura will admit, just how easily one of the most vital strategic crossroads in the Empire can feel so completely _empty_.

Beiden Pass rises all around her, the soaring peaks and rolling contours giving shape and flavor to the echos of her horse’s hooves. She rides at a steady pace, Yuzuki at her side... and in their wake, thirty of the Lion’s Pride, the fiercest and most accomplished warriors of the Matsu family.

They crossed into the Scorpion controlled portion of the pass perhaps ten minutes ago, and so far they have yet to encounter any sign of life.

Sakura's head tilts, the blindfold concealing her expression, but she's... slightly bemused. With the escort accompanying her, she decided it was best to do things properly- she rides with a haori over her kimono, declaring her status as an Emerald Magistrate. Her head turning slightly, she speaks up. "Matsu-san, I assume the Scorpion holdings on their side of the border are further down the pass?"

One of the Matsu nudges her horse closer. Sakura has yet to get names from most of them, save for her - she is Matsu Hitomi, named in honour of one of her family’s greatest heroes, and commander of this detail.

Sakura doesn’t think Hitomi likes her very much.

"The Scorpion tend to change where their watchpoints and redoubts are every year, Kakita-sama," she says tersely, "aside from the town of Beiden and their major fortifications, anyway."

Sakura didn't expect any of the Matsu to _like_ her much... but still. "A wise strategy... in that case, hopefully we can be prepared for when we _do_ encounter a patrol."

Tilting her head, she listens- for the sound of any who might approach from the front. The pass is silent and desolate- which means no noise to distract. She's used to the sounds of the thirty Matsu behind her as well, the occasional murmur.

So, there's nothing to distract her as she listens for any sign of life when it approaches.

There are no signs of Scorpion patrols in the Pass itself - for close to a mile ahead, the only noise is the echoing impacts of the party’s hooves against the stone.

The mountains to either side of the pass, however, are another story. Sakura can hear strange pockets of distorted echoes, places where the lay of the land has been altered away from its natural shape. Some are otherwise unremarkable, but in a few she can just about make out the creaking of armour and the fragmented whispers of hidden observers.

"Hm. A tunnel network."

Sakura tilts her head, raising her voice. "Scorpion-san, I am Kakita Sakura, Emerald Magistrate. I seek audience with Bayushi-no-kimi, regarding a matter of utmost importance to the stability of the Empire."

She's not being subtle- no normal person could hear those whispers. The news of what she is will spread- now is the time to _use_ that.

There is a long pause. Or so it must seem to the others - a period of silence where they have time to wonder if she has gone entirely mad, to start talking to the rocks themselves. Of course, they can’t hear the lightest set of footfalls as one of the Scorpions descends from their mountain hideaway, keeping out of sight all the while.

It must be deeply frustrating for the Scorpion to have their theatrical gifts so diminished.

"That’s quite rude, you know," the Scorpion calls out, having moved into a position where she - and yes, Sakura can hear it in her voice, this is a woman of middle age - calls out to her. "You could at least _pretend_ you didn’t know where we were."

Sakura tilts her head, a small smile gracing her lips. "My humble apologies, Scorpion-san. It was _very_ well done- only..."

Goodness, has it really been only a few months? It feels like it's been longer, to Sakura. "A year ago, I would have been unable to tell. May I ask with whom I am speaking?"

"I am Shosuro Aishi, commander of our humble presence here," the Scorpion says, and as she moves Sakura can hear the faint creak of the bow across her back, the relative freedom of movement that implies limited amounts of armour - a scout, then. "We don’t exactly have much in the way of hospitality to share. Hope you can forgive us."

Behind her, Sakura can almost feel the Matsu tensing in building anger over being spoken to so lightly by a Scorpion. Yuzuki, by contrast, seems to be shaking slightly in suppressed laughter.

"Peace, Matsu-san." Sakura speaks to the warriors behind her.

Sakura smiles, dismounting from her steed. "It is forgiven- after all, a border outpost has no need to be a Kyuden, Shosuro-san."

She is reminded why she likes the Scorpion, despite everything- oh, they are dishonourable, but they are loyal to those they consider close, and they are loyal to the Empire. And speaking like one feels like a spar, to be honest. Not always a friendly one, but enjoyable in its own way.

"Regrettably, our task means we will not be able to share in your hospitality for long."

"Right, you want to race onwards and go talk with Bayushi-ue," the Scorpion says with a roll of her neck, "Well, I think you’re meant to find out at Seven Stings but... you’re going the wrong way. You want the Capital for that."

Sakura stills. "It sounds almost as if... are you aware of the letter I sent to Bayushi-no-kimi, Shosuro-san?"

Her tone is even, but her mind is racing somewhat. Hopefully, that means that he is already seeing the Emperor, to speak on this matter directly to the Throne. If not...

She doesn't want to contemplate the alternative.

"What, a border guard like me, knowing what was in the Champion’s own correspondence? Don’t be ridiculous," the Scorpion scoffs, "you said you sought audience. I don’t know if he got your message before he left Kyuden Bayushi, but he passed through a few days ago, heading for Otosan Uchi. Anyone at Seven Stings could have told you that, but since you called _me_ out..."

"And it is fortunate I did."

Sakura tilts her head. "My thanks, Shosuro-san. We will make for the capital, then."

"I wish you a safe journey, Kakita-sama," the commander calls back, not moving from her elevated perch.

-/-

It takes days to reach Otosan Uchi. Long, uncertain days filled with quiet speculation and doubt. Still, the roads to the capital are among the finest in the Empire, and so the journey proceeds at a remarkable pace - the party crosses the horizon around Otosan Uchi just as the sun is starting to set. 

The city is on fire.

Even from miles away, Sakura can hear the crackle of flames. She can smell the stench of smoke. She can hear the distant screams.

Sakura sniffs the air. Sightless eyes widen behind the blindfold. 

"...Otosan Uichi is under attack."

She turns her head. "Matsu-san. We ride as hard as we can. Keep a watch out for whoever is responsible for this. We may need to fight on a moment's notice."

"The capital... under attack?" Matsu Hitomi says in shock, "then... sisters! We ride!"

The Lion’s Pride put heels to their horses, and in a thunder of hooves, begin to gallop. Sakura finds herself riding with them, part of the pack rather than at its head, and after a moment Yuzuki draws in next to her.

"Sakura," she says grimly, Raiko easily keeping pace with the lesser mounts around her, "For this to happen _now_..."

"...do you know the first lesson my mother taught me about Bushido, Yuzuki? It was loyalty. She always said that the Scorpion's discarding of everything else was all for the sake of loyalty to Rokugan, loyalty to the throne."

Under the blindfold, her eyes blaze with fury. "If Bayushi Shoji has truly done this, then he has betrayed everything the Scorpion stand for. I will personally see to it that his influence is cut out."

And that he dies screaming on a tree, she doesn't say. She's very aware how secret _that_ particular punishment is outside the Scorpion, how her mother technically shouldn't have told her that. But... now is not the time for that. "Kitsu-san!"

"What, Kakita-san?" The Kitsu - a woman like the rest of the party, and a particularly militant one judging by the katana bouncing at her side - snaps back.

"Can you send a messanger to Akodo-no-kimi while we ride? The Emperor's Right Hand must be made aware of this."

The shugenja nods grimly, and begins to chant a prayer beneath her breath. 

They are growing closer to the city now, and... yes, there, on the wind. The sound of steel against steel, the stench of blood, the roars and curses of the battlefield. Voices speaking in Rokugani, hurling insults at one another even as they fight and die. And from up ahead...

"Scorpion banners!" Matsu Hitomi growls, incensed beyond reason, "They’ve taken the gatehouse!"

A yell of _rage_ rips itself from Sakura's throat. It's happened. "Then we _retake it_. Matsu-san! Show me the fury of the Lion's Pride!"

She spurs her horse forwards, her blade at the ready. "Time to reveal ourselves properly it seems, Yuzuki."

"The gate is closed, how are we to..."

"Twenty seconds," Yuzuki says grimly, her own rage burning cold as she draws the scimitar belted at her waist, "Sakura? Hold on."

Sakura looks at her. 

Then nods, transferring over to Yuzuki's horse, and holding on tight. "All right."

The world grows cold, and all sound seems to drain away. Sakura can _feel_ Yuzuki’s Soul unfurling, a banner of frozen night that extends across the ground. She twists her legs under her, half crouching in the saddle, and with the Crane holding tight... leaps.

They sail into the air, propelled by a force no mortal legs could hope to match, and as they descend in a plunging arc towards the gatehouse up ahead Sakura can hear the samurai within yelling in shock. The gate is closed, but she and Yuzuki... they are about to take the walls.

Sakura lands, quickly detaching herself from Yuzuki- and then, with a flick of her sword out of its sheathe, she cleanly opens the guts of a Scorpion bushi. She moves, quick as the wind, each cut of her blade felling another, blows seeming to just... miss. As she fights, her own soul unfurls, a great white wolf with red marking snarling in the air behind her, echoing her own righteous fury.

The Scorpion bushi holding the gatehouse are veterans - they would not have been trusted to accompany their Champion here if he did not hold them in high esteem. Even so, they are few in number, having spent their blood and their strength taking the gatehouse from it’s original detachment... and now they face two warriors Chosen by the highest of the Gods. 

The slaughter is quick and comprehensive, and within moments Sakura is stepping over the last of the corpses to throw open the lever that controls the gates below. The Lion’s Pride surge through the gap, roaring in fury, and Sakura finds herself uncomfortably aware of just how much blood there is over everything in this room.

"I can see fighting still going on down by the docks," Yuzuki says grimly, stepping up to Sakura's shoulder, "and what looks like... yeah, _heimin_ trying to fight the blaze in the merchant district. We can either try to intervene and round up a true force from samurai in the outer city, or push on to the Inner Wall with what we have."

Sakura sniffs at the air, and then _deeply_ wishes she hadn't. "If we go _now_ , we might limit the damage, but we are not invincible- and throwing our lives away uselessly would achieve nothing."

She pauses. "...I also hope that some of the Scorpion might refuse Shoju's madness. He would not have knowingly brought any who would balk at this, but maybe he missed the doubts of some of them. I will not dismiss my mother's Clan as traitors because of him, Yuzuki."

"Do you think the rest of the Empire will care?" Yuzuki replies sharply, her sword making a faint whistling noise as it cuts through the air, "The Scorpion have invaded the Imperial City and murdered their fellow samurai in the street! There is no forgiving this." 

From far below, Sakura can hear the roaring of the Lion’s Pride as they head straight for the inner wall.

Sakura's head jerks towards her for a moment, a sharp retort on her tongue... before she sighs. "Perhaps. But perhaps they can make restitution. After all, if the entire Clan was guilty, do you really think we would have been allowed to leave for Otosan Uichi so easily? In any case... MATSU-SAN!"

The wolf _roars_ , Sakura's words carrying weight even across this distance.

Down below, Matsu Hitomi wheels her horse around. "Why do you hesitate, Kakita! The Emperor is in danger!"

Sakura offers an arm to Yuzuki, for the Unicorn to carry the pair down the wall. "If you would?"

Once down, she nods. "I am not. We strike- if I hear any forces nearby along the way, we will gather them for our strike to be more effective, but we make for the inner walls."

Raiko whinnies in happiness to be reunited with her partner, and Matsu Hitomi nods in fierce satisfaction. "Then let us ride, and cut down any treacherous dogs that cross our path!"

"Of course, that is assuming any loyal forces do not come to us. Utaku-san and I are somewhat of a beacon right now, I would wager."

It's true- the fire around her must be visible for miles, if it's anywhere as intense visually as what she feels like right now.

Sakura hops up on Raiko behind Yuzuki, ready to ride.

Together, they advance, thundering down the open streets. 

The scene around Sakura is as something from a nightmare. Fire, that great enemy of Rokugani cities, rages out of control, and amid the smoke and sparks masked killers stalk their prey and hordes of peasants flee with terrified screams.

One such band blocks their path not too much further ahead - a living river of humanity, choking the streets as they flee from collapsing buildings, driven almost out of their mind by fear. Their screams and cries threaten to make Sakura deaf, and more pressingly their crush offers no obvious way for their small group to get through.

Sakura's on remains, even as the cries reach her ears- she wishes she could plug them right now, but... she calls out. "Peasants! We are here to aid you."

The wolf appears again, this time silent, not snarling- an almost... reassuring presence, now, as it seems almost spirit-like. "We are here to protect you, as true samurai should. But for that to be done, we much pass through! Proceed in an orderly manner, and make way, so that we might defeat those responsible!"

The fire runs through her veins, the blessing of Amaterasu empowering her words to reach all the peasants.

There are few indeed who can ignore the words of a woman glowing like the sun, especially when flanked by the silent figure of a moon-touched rider and an escort of the fiercest Lion samurai in the land. Not all of the peasants can listen, but enough do to open a path, and the party advances through the narrow gaps created by their counter-push.

...they are maybe halfway through when one of them draws a blade from beneath their robes and slashes at the knees of a Matsu’s horse. Other Scorpions appear on the roofs of nearby buildings, the joyful laughter of the air kami ringing out as they allow the illusion to fall, and in the span of a heartbeat the arrows begin to fall.

The peasants, the vast majority of whom are exactly as they appear to be, panic utterly.

Sakura curses, dodging through the gaps in the crowd- and cutting away her sleeve after an arrow gets stuck in it, she searches out for the sound of the arrows, searching for those firing them. 

A _trap_. She should have insisted on gathering forces- but no time for Regret.

The arrows fall like rain, but protected by her own skill and the favour of Amaterasu Sakura evades them and wins her way clear. Behind her, the Matsu are having some difficulty, and Sakura sees more than one samurai pitch from her horse with a black-fletched arrow jutting from her spine.

Orders are being barked from the surrounding terrain, and Sakura can hear the Scorpion ambushers already scattering back into the chaotic streets, fleeing before their enemy can properly establish themselves. If she wishes to go after them she will need to leave the Lion’s Pride behind.

There's another option, however. Sakura's head turns to her lover. "Yuzuki, can you hunt them down? And... if you find any other forces while you do so, send them to follow us."

"Got it," Yuzuki growls, nodding to Sakura as the Crane dismount, "Raiko, let us fly!"

The horse does not obey literally, but even so Yuzuki races away at high speed, plunging between two burning buildings and pursuing the withdrawing Scorpion.

It takes a minute or so more for the Lion’s Pride to win their way free of the crowd, but eventually they do, and Matsu Hitomi dismounts in turn with a snarl.

"No point in taking the horses further - we don’t have enough left for everyone. The worms saw to that," she growls, gathering her sisters to her side with a series of brisk hand motions, "let us move, Kakita-san. The inner wall is not far."

Sakura nods. "Indeed, Matsu-san." 

Holding her sword at her side, she starts to advance towards the inner wall. "Which wall are we approaching, Matsu-san?"

"The South Wall," the Matsu replies, advancing at a brisk pace by Sakura's side, "it is reputed to be guarded by illusionary traps of some kind, but I cannot imagine the Scorpion will have been able to control them. We could move around to the East, where the ancestors are known to guard the wall, for they will surely aid us, but... time is not our ally."

Sakura's head turns towards the Matsu. "Are any of those traps auditory in nature, I wonder..."

There's a small smile on her face as she says this.

"Hah. Onwards, then!"

The fires fade as they draw closer to the Inner Wall, for here the bulk of the Scorpion forces were concentrated and they have no interest in seeing their own troops consumed in flames. The bulk of the wall looms above them, somehow perceptible despite the situation, but first they have another threat to contend with.

There is a river up ahead, a narrow waterway bridged by several elegant wooden arches. On the far side Sakura can hear a unit of Scorpion setting up a crude barricade, piling looted wood from the surrounding areas up as potential obstacles and setting up lines of Heavy Infantry among them. Their commander growls orders to their troops, seeking to establish a choke-point.

There is a strange, almost acrid smell coming from beneath the bridge itself, though she cannot identify the source.

Sakura sniffs, frowning. "The bridge smells off... a strange, acrid smell. I cannot identify what it is, however- this feels like a trap, Matsu-san."

"It’s the Scorpion, of course it is a trap," Matsu Hitomi growls, "but we can either carry the bridge before they trigger it or attempt to find another way around, unless you want to try swimming across in the face of their arrows."

Sakura nods. "Very well. We charge. For Rokugan, Matsu-san."

"For the Emperor," Matsu Hitomi replies with a wild laugh, "Sisters! _Charge!_ "

Sakura charges forwards, at the head of the Lion's Pride. A Kakita, leading the Matsu in battle- a sight to behold. 

As they reach the Scorpion ranks, Sakura's sword lashes out, carving a swathe through their ranks. Each movement is precise and orderly, with as little energy wasted as possible. Blows seem to slip by her, although some of them catch her clothing- she ends up with her right shoulder and upper body uncovered, and quite glad for both her sarashi and the Obi of the Sun's protections. 

And, of course, the Matsu follow her, the Lion's Pride roaring as they fight- they're said to be the finest infantry unit in Rokugan, and they certainly live up to the title today.

The Scorpion have betrayed the Empire, but it cannot be denied that they are still samurai, with a samurai’s skill and valour driving them forwards. In the face of the finest infantry in Rokugan and the wrath of a sun-Chosen warrior, they hold, aiming to control the bridge and the barricade beyond with sweeping blows from their naginata and precise volleys from their bows.

It is not enough. Their defense gives way like so much wet paper, and the samurai of the Lion’s Pride wreck havoc among their ranks. Scorpions fall and die, too swiftly for them to properly activate whatever their trap was... and as Sakura lunges for the roaring figure of their commander, apparently driving them to an absolute height of desperation.

There is a barrel at the Scorpion’s feet, no larger than a bowl of noodles. It is open, and more of that same acrid stench emerges from within. At the last moment, even as Sakura's blade tears out his throat, the Scorpion’s own sword slashes down and cracks the wooden slats apart.

There is a spark.

The fist of an angry god strikes her in the face, burning like the sun itself, and by the time she realises she is not dead Sakura is lying a good twenty paces back down the road and her kimono is on fire.

Sakura grimaces, cutting away her kimono and letting it fall away- leaving her upper half only covered by her sarashi, but this is not the time for concern about modesty. She realises she's lost her blindfold, but that's also a minor concern. 

She's burnt- that must have been gaijin pepper or fireworks, one more crime that Shoju has had the Lion commit. It hurts, but she adopts her _on_ again, as she walks towards the Lion. "Matsu-san, did any of you get caught in that trap?"

"You live? You are tougher than you look, Kakita-san," Matsu Hitomi’s voice is just about audible over the (hopefully temporary) ringing in Sakura's ears, "We are fine. None of us were nearby. Come, let us advance!"

"That was not _pleasant_ , but yes, I still live. Amaterasu's protection, in more ways that one."

She nods, and as they advance, touches a hand to the obi wrapped around her hakama. _Thank you, Lady Amaterasu._

The bulk of the South Wall loom ahead, and Sakura feels its shadow fall across her. It is a vast and imposing monolith, untouched even amid such devastation, but she must find a way through if she is to succeed here.

"Come, there is a ramp!" Matsu Hitomi calls, running at her side, "No doubt the Scorpion will have trapped it, but..."

The world goes away.

Sakura feels cold. Moisture dances against her skin, clinging to the few shreds of silk that remain. The air is silent and still, but for the distant sound of what almost sounds like growling...

Sakura closes her eyes, before opening them again to sightlessness. Her anima flares up. "Illusions, Matsu-san."

She raises her voice. "If any of you can hear me, stay close to me."

And then... she steps forwards. She cannot trust her ears, or her nose, but what she can trust is Amaterasu's warmth. 

So, she does. With each step, she grows more sure of her path, more certain of the route she must take.

The mist of the wall seems to fade away at her approach, and she could swear for a moment that there was a sense of presence, of _attention_ focused upon her... and then Sakura is out, and all the chaos and calamity of the night comes rushing back at once.

She stands within the Inner City... no, the vast bulk ahead of her must surely be the Imperial Palace itself, though how she got here when at least a mile divided the wall from this point is an open question. The Scorpion are elsewhere, and though Sakura can hear screams and the clashing of blades from within the structure ahead, she is at present unchallenged.

Sakura stands alone. The Empire may very well rest upon her shoulders.

Sakura's shoulders slump for a moment. She aches from the burns. For all her efforts, the Matsu didn't make it through with her, and she doesn't know if they made it through at all. 

But... she's been brought here to the palace. The cool air soothes her burns.

Her sightless eyes determines, Sakura advances, her feet crunching against the ground as she makes her way towards the Imperial Palace.

She enters the Imperial Palace. It is a slaughter-house.

Everywhere there is evidence of murder. Samurai lie slain, swords still in their sheathes, while servants huddle weeping in the corners or futilely paw at the fallen bodies of their murdered kin. Whatever violence the Scorpion brought to this place, it was both sudden and merciless, and though here and there Sakura finds signs of mutual violence and traitors slain in defence of the palace, the story they tell overall is all too clear.

No one stops her. She can hear the Scorpion elsewhere in the palace, hunting down the remaining opposition, but whether by good fortune or design none stand between her and the throne room itself. Sakura arrives at a run, the doors hanging open before her, and find the chamber beyond empty but for a single soul.

There is a body on the floor.

A man sits upon the throne. 

"You are too late, Kakita-san," Bayushi Shoju says, in a voice a hair above a whisper.

Sakura's head turns towards him, her face aghast. "My mother was of your clan, Shoju. She told me that everything the Scorpion do, they do for the Empire. How is this _possibly_ for the Empire? You have killed the Emperor, you may well plunge Rokugan into civil war because of it. I am aware that the Hantei were most likely doomed anyway, but what made you think that _causing their fall_ was appropriate? Or did you simply want power, and used this pretence to take it?"

"The alternative was worse," Shoju replies, his voice wearier than any Sakura has ever heard, "Had the Hantei fallen as the prophecy would have had it, their end would have ushered in a far greater darkness than mere war between the Clans. A Day of Thunder, Kakita-san, and of Shadow. It could not be allowed."

"And this is _not_?"

Sakura's voice is disbelieving. "Do you really think the other Clans will accept your justification? You have brought doom upon your own clan, Bayushi Shoju. Even if not all of them were involved, do you think the other clans will accept that? Even if you have succeeded in this madness, and truly ended the Hantei, you have left a throne with none legitimate to sit upon it! Rokugan will fall into _chaos_. If you have not..."

She shakes her head. "Then you simply delay. Possibly even _cause_ that day you fear so much. Did you even consider that?"

"I am not so foolish, Kakita-san. I merely see what you do not," Shoju replies, and there is a faint touch of morbid humour in his tone, "The Hantei are dead. Every member of the Imperial Families that shares a direct blood connection to them is dead. And when the Empire realizes this, who do you imagine they will turn to? It cannot be me, of course, but there is an alternative."

He laughs, then, a hollow sound. "They will turn to you, Kakita-san, to the honorable magistrate that avenged their Emperor. To the woman with the blessing of Lady Sun who even the daimyo of the Matsu can bring herself to respect. To the shining pillar of stability they will so desperately need in days to come."

Sakura's mouth hangs open. He can't be serious... and yet, it makes horrible, awful sense at the same time. "...and for how long, exactly, did you plan this, Shoju?"

"Does it matter?" The Champion of the Scorpion says with a bitter smile, "You are perfect. You even have the blood of a Scorpion, and I hope the compassion to forgive those of my subordinates who did not know what I intended, who would have slain me for even thinking of it. Whatever plans I might have had before you were so blessed... I am not so bold as to ignore the obvious intent of Heaven."

Sakura pauses, for a long while. "I would hardly call it obvious, Bayushi Shoju, and I hardly think the other clans will see it so easily as you think. But, if you claim this is truly out of loyalty to the Empire...."

She sighs. "Then take the three cuts. Perhaps that way, you can help convince them."

"No, I don’t think so," Shoju chuckles, rising to his feet, "It would make for a fine bit of theatre, but that is not my role."

The sword in his hand shivers slightly, a faint moan of hunger on the very edge of Sakura's hearing. Shoju looks down at it, nods absently, then raises the blade into a classic kenjutsu guard.

"I will be your villain, Sakura."


	14. Before an Emerald Throne

The Hall is silent, but beyond the walls the sounds of death and battle come readily to Sakura's ears. The stench of blood and death is thick upon the air, the mortal carcass of the man who was once the Emperor lying butchered on the ground. His murderer faces her with blood-stained sword in hand.

Bayushi Shoju is not renowned for being a great warrior, but he is still a Champion of Rokugan... and to rely on reputation alone to predict the Lord of the Scorpion would be foolishness itself.

Sakura scowls, lowering herself into an Iaijutsu pose. Behind her, the white wolf springs to life again, snarling. "Do not compare yourself with Bayushi-no-Kami." But as she says this... she realises. Bayushi would _absolutely_ have done this if he thought it would save the Empire. She grimaces for a moment... then breathes. 

In. 

Out. 

This is not the time for fury to get her killed- and despite Shoju's words, he certainly doesn't seem willing to just let Sakura kill him. So... She calls upon Amaterasu's power. Almost filled back up, it sharpens her senses, much like in the fight with Matsu Ketsui. The world seems sharper, as she coils up, ready to spring into action, and as the great white wolf looms behind her, its eyes fixed on Shoju as Sakura's focus seems almost a physical thing. She pushes her anger down beneath the surface. 

There is only the fight.

"Good. You understand," Shoju replies, the blade in his hand keening in soft counterpoint to his words, "this land was founded by eight Kami, and they _all_ have wisdom to teach."

In contrast to Sakura's focus, her rage, the Scorpion seems almost... tranquil. No, that is not quite right. He feels cold, withdrawn, garbed in the still hunger of an ambush predator. And his sword... it sings, softly, a morbid promise of blood and death. No mortal hand could forge such a thing.

Sakura frowns softly. That sword... it's dangerous. But to strike first... no. This is not the moment. 

She waits. There will be a moment to strike. This is not it.

There is a faint chittering in the air... no, more like a _scuttling_. Bayushi Shoju lifts his sword into a high guard position, and for a moment Sakura could almost believe she is facing down a true Scorpion, some terrible elemental beast grown to the size of a man.

Sakura frowns. And then... she leaps forwards. She Scorpion before her may be strong, he may have power... but she is blessed by Amaterasu. 

Between one moment and the next, her sword leaps from its sheathe, blindingly quick- almost too quick to defend against. The Wolf howls, standing against the Scorpion before it, and rushing forwards to seek the throat of its enemy.

Shoju leans backwards, bending his arm and body with an almost sickening level of fluidity, seeking to evade the lightning-fast strike.

Sakura frowns, sensing the strike missing him. Her sword returns to its sheath with a _clack_ , ready for his return strike.

"You have learned the lessons of Doji’s husband well, it seems," the Scorpion proclaims, moving on light feet in a long, curving path around the hall. "Your speed, your focus, these are commendable... but you already know there is more to learn, don’t you? Your Utaku lover must have taught you that."

He lunges forwards, a viciously fast assault as pure as any Kakita... but at the last moment Sakura understands that this is a feint. No, an _illusion_ \- Shoju never moved from his original spot!

Sakura's eyes open in an instant. 

Yes, this is a feint. An illusion. 

And so, she doesn't rise to it. Instead, she abandons her counter-strike- instead, her focus narrows down even further. Her earlier strike was a mistake, wasted- there may be lesser attacks to come, but there will be only one time to _truly_ strike.

And only _then_ , once the illusion is done with, does she coil forwards, unsheathing her sword and striking. No power runs through, for indeed the strike isn't the purpose.

It goes against the Kakita style... but Shoju is, for all Sakura doesn't want to admit it, right. She withdraws the scabbard from her obi at the same time, holding blade in one hand and scabbard in the other, held in a reverse grip. The similarities to the Mirumoto fighting style do not escape her... but it _feels_ right, in a way that fighting Ketsui didn't. And it leaves less vulnerabilities that Shoju can exploit. 

"Indeed she has."

The Champion steps back, bringing up his sword in a defensive move that is almost mockingly traditional.

And in that, he fails, for the unconventional strike slips past his guard and sends him staggering back, dangerously off balance.

Sakura smiles, changing her strategy yet again as she senses the opening, her sword _clacking_ back into the sheathe.

A moment passes. 

And then, it swings out again. Blindingly fast, the sword seeks to unbalance Shoju even further, as Sakura advances- and very unlike a Crane indeed, for each strike builds upon the other, instead of waiting for the perfect moment.

Shoju reels... and then recovers, abandoning the pretext of weakness for a responding cut, almost shockingly similar to the traditional Kakita arts that his opponent is growing away from.

_clack_

Sakura's sword returns to its sheathe. 

Shoju was, indeed, a worthy opponent, for all the blasphemy he’s committed. But now... it's time to end this. 

Now... is the perfect moment for a perfect strike.

She settles into an Iaijutsu pose, her sword at her side. 

She breathes in. 

And then, in the space between breaths. 

The space between heartbeats.

She strikes.

There is a single, frozen moment as Bayushi Shoju sees his doom approaching. The Chosen of Amaterasu, the Sword of Heaven, wrapped in sunlight and glorious in her anger. Beneath his mask, the Champion’s lips curl into a smile.

"Perfect," he says, his voice a whisper, and dies.

Sakura is still for a moment. She hears two _thumps_ as Bayushi Shoju's corpse hits the floor. 

Then, she stands, closing her eyes for a moment, as the enormity of what just happened hits her. This... was not a defeat for the Champion of the Scorpion, not by any means. 

She breathes in, then out. Then, slowly, she turns, pulling a cloth out from where it was tucked into her _obi_. She wipes the blood from the blade, and drops it on top of the corpse of the Scorpion Clan Champion, and slowly slides her sword back into its sheathe.

Then, she turns, listening for anyone who might be coming. And for if the battle is still raging, outside this room.

The sounds of battle are still ongoing - the rest of the Scorpion do not know their Champion is dead, and indeed may not even care. There are distant sounds of running feet, some headed her way, some away. Chaos, confusion, and above it all...

A faint scent of incense and light.

Sakura sniffs the air, trying to locate the source of the incense.

And, as she does so, she makes the _shift_ in her senses, looking for any spirits who might be watching.

She is not alone in the chamber. There is another. 

In form, the spirit takes the form of a human man, thick robes of silk swathing his powerful form. His hair hangs loose and to his shoulders, rustling faintly as he moves. He stands over the body of the Emperor.

"So," he says, in a sonorous voice, "it has come to this at last."

Sakura turns her head towards the spirit, cautiously. "To this?"

She pauses. "...might I ask who you are, honoured spirit?"

The man inclines his head.

"I have had many names throughout the years, samurai," he says in a weary tone, "but I suspect the one you know best would be ‘Hantei’."

Sakura sucks in her breath, bowing. 

Deeply. "I... am both honoured, and ashamed. Honoured that you would appear to me... and ashamed that this is the reason. That all this death and madness has happened..."

Her mouth twists, and she doesn't complete the sentence. That Shoju did this with the intention that _she_ take the throne.

"Do you imagine you were the cause of his deeds, samurai?" Hantei regards Sakura for a moment, the weight of his gaze a physical thing, "Bayushi Shoju has been planning this act for years. Had you never been born, he would still have acted."

Sakura lets out her breath, as she stands. "...it makes sense- this attack was not executed quickly, and Shoji said as much, but it still leaves a bitter taste, _Tenno_."

"You cannot control the actions of others, and to hold yourself responsible for them is the path of madness," Hantei says, his voice filling the hall and seeming to come from all directions, "I was taught that lesson twice in life. Once when I was forced to flee my home, and once when my own brother warred against me. It was not until many years after my death that the lesson finally sunk in."

Sakura breathes in, out. Then nods. "I will accept your wisdom, then, _Tenno_."

Her head turns towards the corpse lying close to the throne. "Unless any of your line still lives, however... it does seem his plan will work perfectly. Duty will not allow me... or any samurai... to leave the throne empty and for Rokugan to fall to chaos."

"After a thousand years, my blood is spread thin enough to flow through the veins of half of Rokugan, but direct descendants?" Hantei sighs, "No. They are gone. Bayushi was a vicious snake of a man, but he never did anything by half measures, and his children learned well from his example."

Sakura turns her head towards him. "...my mother _did_ always say that the Clan of her birth had taken their role to be to perform the deeds the rest of the Empire could not... although I suspect duty was not all that drove Shoju."

She tilts her head, listening to the half-formed whispers from the sword lying besides the dead Champion, too indistinct to make out. "That sword... but whatever reason he had, if his success was that complete, the throne cannot be left empty as a prize to be fought over by the Clans."

"Can it not?" Hantei replies, and without seeming to cross the intervening ground he is by the throne, one hand resting on its arm, "Every throne ever claimed was won through blood and steel, samurai. This one was no exception. Not all the people who dwelled in this land wished to bow their heads to shining lords from across the sea. They were _made_ to yield, or else fled beyond the mountains, choosing freedom over their native lands."

"Perhaps. But you and your siblings forged an empire that has seen stability in these lands for a thousand years. We have fought wars, but not as..."

Sakura pauses. "I have the memories of your brother, _Tenno_. I remember what he said to you, I remember _saying_ them. 'I shall build an Empire as strong and merciless as the stars in the sky.' He... he was _wrong_. This land, this Empire, taught him _peace_ compared to the wars that you fought before. There is value in that, in maintaining that- and improving, perhaps, but seeing it collapse into unrestricted warfare? No. There has been blood and steel spilled over this throne already, and I would not see it continue."

"Ah yes... I remember that boast," Hantei says with a soft, humorless chuckle, "I suspect history has recorded it as metaphor?"

Sakura tilts her head. "Indeed. I... remember that he was being more literal, but I do not remember _why_."

"Because the stars were our enemy, samurai, and if you take this throne they will become yours as well," Hantei says quietly, "Rokugan was not the first place we ruled, my siblings and I. Once, all of Creation bent to our will, united beneath the leadership of the Exalted Host. But the Star-Chosen predicted disaster if our reign continued and the Dragon’s Get rose up against us, and we were forced to flee or die. Demons, they called us, mad and cruel, and the rivers of blood spilled in that war were enough to drown the world."

"Much as Shoju rose against your descendants?"

Sakura thinks for a long moment. "I cannot think they would leave Rokugan alone regardless, however- we still venerate you and your siblings, Hantei-no-kami. To them, we would be demon-worshippers regardless, would we not?"

The idea twists her stomach. "If that is the case, if sooner or later they will come for Rokugan... that makes the choice even clearer. It makes Rokugan's need for a stable succession even stronger."

"The parallels are striking, yes," Hantei acknowledges, "and I cannot command you one way or another on this. I can advise, and answer questions, but I cannot lead by order or implication. The Laws of Heaven are most clear on this. If you would take the throne, then do so knowing it is without my blessing."

Sakura nods. "...in that case... I think I have made my decision, Hantei-no-kami."

The First Emperor nods, and lays his hand against Sakura's shoulder, looking into her sightless eyes.

There is a dull boom, and the pounding of feet, and through the entrance to the throne room charges a squad of samurai in full armour. Sakura can hear the muffled curse of Matsu Hitomi, the breathless cry of Utaku Yuzuki, a dozen other voices mingled in that one moment... and then the silence of utter shock, as they behold the scene before them.

" **Then rule well, Sakura of Rokugan** ," Hantei says in a voice that shakes the Imperial Palace to its foundations, " **and know that the Dawn’s light shall be ever at your side.** "

Then he is gone, and there is nothing but silence and the stunned stares of her audience.

Kakita-

No. A Crane cannot sit on the throne. None of any Clan can. 

Sakura turns towards them, burned and battered, but her back straight, no sign of weakness in her. She doesn't bother stating the obvious. 

The Hantei are dead. And so is their murderer. "What is the status of the remaining Scorpion in the city?"

"Still fighting, I think," Yuzuki says, sounding almost dazed, "but Sakura..."

She cuts off, falling silent as from within the ranks of the assembled samurai one man walks forwards. His armour is light, his sword battered and chipped, but despite the handful of wounds he carries himself with authority and pride.

"The Scorpion are fragmented, but even with your actions they are still on course to claim control over the city," he says slowly, and you can _feel_ the assessing weight in his voice, in his gaze, "You have avenged the death of the Emperor, Kakita-san, but that does not make it your prerogative to speak as though you have taken his place."

Sakura tilts her head. "Hantei-no-kami's words to me indicated that Shoju wiped out all his descendants, but if any were hidden too well for even his eyes- keen but also _distant_ as they are- to see, then the throne is theirs by the law I am bound to uphold. If not, however..."

She steps forwards. "Then there _is_ no clear successor. How could there be, for a situation such as this? If that is the case, the throne must _not_ be a matter of dispute between the Clans. That would destroy us."

As she speaks, the wolf flares into life once more, now a calm presence, its light illuminating the Imperial Palace and a beacon to Otosan Uichi.

"In principle I agree," the samurai says sternly, "and yet a Champion _cannot_ bow before any but the recognized Emperor... or Empress."

"Akodo-dono..." one of the other samurai present mutters, only to be silenced by an upraised hand.

"I will aid you in securing the city, Kakita Sakura," Akodo Toturi, Champion of the Lion, says in a voice of iron, "and we shall talk more once that is done."

Sakura tilts her head, speaking more quietly. "Very well, Akodo-ue."

She thinks for a moment. "The Scorpion are fragmented, you say? Then we defeat them group by group, before they have a chance to collect into larger forces. And leave none who came with Shoju alive- they knew exactly what sort of blasphemy he had planned."


	15. Of Duty And Dynasty

It takes time to accomplish, of course, for the Scorpion are everywhere and renowned for their cunning. In other circumstances it might take weeks or months to fully root them out of the Imperial City, but as it turns out a full purge is not necessary. Word spreads ahead of Sakura like fire - that Shoju is dead, that a Chosen of Amaterasu leads the counter-offensive, that the Lion Clan Champion stands at her side. The remaining Scorpion consider their options, consult their orders... and then vanish.

Toturi sends men in pursuit, of course, dispatching units into the tunnels beneath the city and detachments of Cavalry after those troops who retreated across the countryside, but the Scorpion timed their assault well and there are simply not enough troops on hand to catch them all.

Eventually, it is done. Otosan Uchi is secure. Now... comes the hard part.

Sakura grimaces internally as she hears the news- that the Scorpion involved in this didn't fight to the last man may have made the immediate task easier, but it makes it easier to say that not all the traitors have been accounted for- and to cast suspicion on the clan of secrets as a whole as their most likely safe harbour. They wouldn't even be wrong to say so- but the fall of a Great Clan is not something Sakura is prepared to allow so easily. Especially as the Scorpions' skills may be needed in the time to come.

Returning to the palace, which seems as good a place to regroup as any, Sakura finds Akodo Toturi standing in the abandoned throne room. Both bodies have been removed, and now the Champion stands there in silence, regarding the Emerald Throne.

He scarcely even seems to be breathing.

Sakura walks next to him. Since the battle ended, she's had little time to really rest- oh, she appropriated some clothing to replace what was burnt away, and some medical attention from a shugenja has reduced the discomfort of her burns, but otherwise it's been a flurry of activity. Now... there's a moment of silence. One which raises more questions, which as yet go unanswered. 

She doesn't break the silence. At least, not yet.

"My troops found the Emperor’s son. He... was slain," Toturi says slowly, the words infused with the kind of level tone that only absolute self control can provide, "We have yet to find anyone still alive known to carry Hantei blood. Doubtless some of the Otomo, but..."

Sakura tilts her head, before nodding and continuing, her tone as level as Toturi's. "...after a certain point, the line becomes too thin, the link too tenuous. I remember the Championship of your clan passes on merit if no relatives close enough can be found for exactly that reason, Akodo-ue. But there is no such procedure for the Throne."

"Indeed. How could there be? Every Lion is my brother, but..." he breaks off, taking several moments just to breath. "If I asked you to serve as my second..."

Sakura turns her head in his direction, sharply. Studying his breathing, his heartbeat, she tries to judge what his intentions are in asking before she speaks.

And she realises that he is serious about his intentions... but not set. "The empire faces a crisis, Akodo-ue. No matter how this is resolved. If a Hantei is found, they will be one never prepared for the role they are now placed into. If one of the Otomo takes the throne, they will have to face the clans questioning their legitimacy. And if..."

She pauses. "If the throne passes to a new line, then they will face the same problems. You are an honourable man, Akodo-ue, and perhaps the worst thing for _Rokugan_ at this moment would be for the Right Hand to be thrown into uncertainty and crisis by the death of their leader with no clear heir. And more than you could be called to account for not acting swiftly enough, or not realising until it was too late, but your death would damage the Empire further. That said... if you are determined, I would accept."

"Ah, yes. Talk of pragmatism, of the greater good, of the interests of the Empire... the _Hantei are dead_ and I..."

Akodo Toturi pauses for a long moment.

"I was here. In Otosan Uchi. With... a woman. I can only assume the Scorpion... she drugged me, and when I awoke it was only the intervention of your Utaku counterpart that I was not slain by Scorpion blades regardless. I loved outside the bounds of duty and through my blindness slumbered while the Emperor was slain and his death avenged. How can I serve with honour, having failed so completely?"

Sakura is silent for just as long a moment before she speaks again.

"My mother's clan did this. The clan that she always taught me set aside their honour deliberately so that the rest of Rokugan could maintain it. And by Shoji's own words, he did it to avoid what he heard was a prophesied end to the line that would bring disaster for Rokugan... but he was quite clear, just before his death, that he never intended to seize the throne for _himself_."

Her fist clenches, as she holds herself back from trembling in anger and frustration. "And if I had realised that would be the result of Amaterasu's blessing earlier, perhaps I could have stopped it. If I had not been so..."

She chuckles humorlessly. "So blind. But Shoju clearly planned this for a long time. If I had moved more quickly, he may well have struck earlier. I certainly suspect he had more than one plan to remove you, Akodo-ue. And despite my own failings in this... you heard Hantei's words. If he can forgive all that, forgive the same blood that destroyed his line running in my body..."

She doesn't continue, but her meaning is clear.

"Then he can forgive one samurai for a foolish lapse in judgement, I suppose," the Lion Champion lets out a breath, "very well, then. Not today. Today, the Emperor’s death is avenged. Tomorrow... I suppose we shall have to inform the other Champions. Doubtless some have already heard, but an official proclamation must still be made. A meeting, I suppose..."

Sakura nods. "Indeed. And a decision must be made regarding the Scorpion."

She pauses for a long moment, thinking in the silence. "Akodo-ue, might I ask... if one of the Hantei had survived this, and taken the throne... what would you have advised them to do regarding the Scorpion Clan?"

"I suppose that depends," Toturi says grimly, "on how deep the rot truly goes. And..."

He breaks off, as from the hallway outside comes the sound of rapid footsteps. There is a dull _bang_ as the door is thrown open, and then Matsu Hitomi steps into the throne room.

"Akodo-ue, word from the perimeter," she says briskly, almost breathless, "they’ve captured the Imperial Advisor!"

Sakura's head turns towards Toturi. "Bayushi Kachiko. Her testimony would, at least, give us some information on how deep that rot goes... assuming we can get it from her and be certain it is accurate."

Her lips press together. "And I may possibly be able to get those answers from her."

Toturi nods sharply. "Bring her here."

-/-

Bayushi Kachiko has not been treated kindly. The scent of blood accompanies her into the throne room, and she walks with a limp even without the harsh shoves of the accompanying samurai. Even so she carries herself well, her breathing even and controlled. There is the slightest pause as she enters the room, a faint sound that might possibly be some word caught before it could be truly uttered, and then she is kneeling on the ground at Sakura and Toturi's feet.

"Leave us," Toturi says sharply, dismissing the samurai who brought her with a wave. They obey with minimal protest, leaving the three alone. 

Kachiko says nothing.

Sakura is silent at first, removing her blindfold and stowing it in her sleeve. She finds it often unnerves the people she's interrogating, although Kachiko is certainly too experienced at the courts to be unbalanced by so simple a trick as _that_. "Bayushi Kachiko. The rest of the Scorpion have all fled the consequences of their crimes, leaving suspicion to fall on the rest of the Clan of harbouring them at the very least. All except you."

She pauses for a moment. "I find it difficult to believe the clan known for loyalty towards their kin would abandon the wife of their Champion... but then again, before yesterday I would have found it difficult to believe the Scorpion would go so far as to kill an Emperor. How much did you know about this mad plan beforehand, Bayushi-san?"

"I was hardly _abandoned_ ," Bayushi Kachiko replies, and even in these circumstances her voice is an absolute delight; a smooth, melodic hum that entices the ear and absorbs the attention of all present. "Merely intercepted. One should never underestimate the ability of a Lion to run a foe to ground, it seems."

Sakura would be tempted in any other circumstance... but she has Yuzuki to remember. And the circumstances. "Which leads back to my question, Bayushi-san. How much did you know beforehand?"

"Absolutely nothing," the Scorpion replies without missing a beat, "Really, it was quite a nasty surprise. I cannot imagine _what_ Shoju was thinking."

Sakura raises an eyebrow, her ears already finely tuned for the sounds of Kachiko's heart and breathing. It's a tricky thing- Kachiko is one of the most experienced liars of the Empire, especially with her husband dead- but Sakura _learned_ how to do this by practicing with a Scorpion, and Aiko was never _quite_ able to conceal the slight speeding up of the heart that comes with a falsehood. And now, she has Amaterasu's gift to call on, enhancing her hearing even more.

And then she smiles, as a sunburst appears on her forehead, burning like the morning sun in minature. "Kachiko-san, I was skilled at detecting lies even _before_ receiving Amaterasu's blessing. It has only increased my ability to discover deception. Do not lie to me again."

"Oh? Will you do something hideous to me if I do?" Bayushi Kachiko replies, a cruelly mocking edge to her melodious voice, "Or do you imagine threats of death alone will suffice?"

" _Mere_ death? No. A tree, perhaps." Sakura simply tilts her head. "It is the rest of your clan that would face death, Bayushi-san. I can truly say I do not desire it... but if we cannot tell who was involved in this and who was not, if we have no trustworthy way of determining the difference... then the other Clans will have no reason to restrain themselves. You are the best hope your clan has of _survival_ , Bayushi Kachiko."

There is a brief catch in Kachiko’s breath when the tree is mentioned; something she fears in truth, it seems. And yet...

"One should not promise what they can not provide, Sakura-san," she says, an almost maternal edge to her voice now, "it only makes you look weak, and that above all else you cannot be. Not if you intend to sit upon the Emerald Throne."

There is a faint creak as Toturi’s hand balls into a fist. And yet he says nothing, for he is not the Magistrate here.

"I never sought the throne, Bayushi-san. And I promised nothing."

Sakura pauses. "But if no one in the Scorpion will provide the traitor's punishment to perhaps the worst sort of traitor of all, then your Clan truly _would_ be beyond any hope. So, the _best_ you have to hope for, it seems, is that everyone in your clan is doomed. That the Empire is weakened against those who strike using underhanded methods. And, of course, your own death, with only the slightest consolation that it is not the sort of death you fear."

There's a twist to Sakura's tone, somewhere between bitter and mocking. "At least you were able to needle and prod to your last breath."

"You cannot slay my Clan. You cannot stop the other Champions from doing as they will. But you want me to believe you can, because then I will cooperate and you will have an excuse to spare those who share your blood," Bayushi Kachiko says calmly, as though this was any other conversation, "You paint a picture with your words and hope that I will confuse it for the real thing, but I am the Mother of Secrets, and I am not so easily undone."

Sakura shakes her head. "Then you are just as much a fool as your husband was. Akodo-ue?"

"The punishment for treason is death," Akodo Toturi says in a voice of iron, "I don’t believe the code ever contained a specific clause that covers what you have done, but I am sure..."

"Kill me and Rokugan dies screaming," Bayushi Kachiko replies in a voice of silk.

Sakura looks at her, her tone flat. "Explain."

"Did you imagine we would undertake this course without some form of contingency in place?" Kachiko replies in a deceptively mild tone, "The Scorpion have never been beloved. Our safety has never been secured by love or respect. Fear has kept us safe, fear of what we will do if provoked, what we might be driven to if backed into a corner. Fear of, in extremis, twelve very particular scrolls."

Sakura pauses- then, words from Shoju click in her mind, and she remembers her history. "A day of Thunder. Deluded as he was, your husband at least claimed to seek to prevent _exactly_ what you are threatening to unleash.."

Her expression is neutral- but her clouded eyes almost seem alight with cold fury. "Do you have any loyalty to anyone other than yourself?"

"I am loyal to my husband, who you killed. I am loyal to my family, who you threaten. I am loyal to my Clan, who you would see turned to beggars and corpses," Kachiko replies, her voice a sweet poison in Sakura's ears as she rises smoothly to her feet, "I am not unreasonable, Sakura-san. Sit upon the Emerald Throne and the Scorpion will bow in fealty. Ask it and I shall share the secrets we have gathered. If a blood price is demanded I shall commit _jigai_ , or perhaps retire to a monastery, along with my peers and fellow murderers. But do not imagine for a second that you can wipe the Scorpion from this world and never feel our sting."

Sakura glares at her. "At the very least, answer this. Are all the Scorpion guilty of this?"

"Of course not," Kachiko says with an elegant shrug, "not even we could keep a secret such as this if it were so widely known."

Sakura breathes out, tilting her head. "And you are not lying. That... is all I needed, Bayushi-san. To know that the rot did not run right through the Clan."

She turns to Toturi. "Akodo-ue, we have all we need for now. Anything else should not be said in this company."

"Guards!" Akodo Toturi calls, and with almost indecent haste is answered by the Lion’s Pride who were waiting just out of easy earshot, "Take this... person to a cell. She is not to be... unduly harmed."

Bayushi Kachiko bows low, almost mocking in her show of respect, and allows herself to be lead away. Akodo Toturi watches her go, grinding his teeth all the while.

"That vile..." he says, enough venom and rage in his voice to burn a hole in the floor, "To even _think_ of such a thing..."

Sakura nods, almost trembling in fury herself. "Once the Scorpion are purged of her close allies, the conspirators and those who might think as she does, I intend to hand her over to them if the decision is at all up to me. She fears _that_ punishment- and for that threat, she is deserving of it a thousand times over. But she did give us what we needed. The rot does not run through the Scorpion."

"A small mercy," Toturi sighs, "I will inform the other Champions. I expect most will want to come here in person. Hida Kisada in particular will be... difficult."


	16. Upon an Emerald Throne

With the Scorpion evicted and the city secure, a sense of almost unreal calm descends over Otosan Uchi. This is an uncertain time, and no one knows what will happen next, what possibly _could_ happen. Still, life must go on, and bit by bit the repairs and reconstruction of the capital begins.

Two days after the Hantei's fall, the Crane arrive, a full army of several thousand samurai arriving in full battle readiness to help secure the city and expand coverage to the surrounding countryside. Their banners snap in the wind, proclaiming their heritage in splendid defiance of the tragedy that has rocked Rokugan of late.

Word comes by messenger shortly thereafter; Doji Hotaru, Champion of the Crane, summons her vassal Kakita Sakura to a personal meeting in the command tent.

Sakura goes, of course. There's no question of doing otherwise- and with Yuzuki's aid (and the aid of the friends she has among her Clan), she dresses in full Crane livery, the finest she can pull together on such short notice. She arrives at the entrance to the tent, bowing low to the ground- as appropriate for a minor member of the _buke_ , summoned by her Clan Champion. 

For perhaps the last time she serves in this role. "Doji-no-kimi, Kakita Sakura has come as summoned."

The middle of the Crane army is remarkably organized, considering the sheer speed with which it must have been assembled, and were it not for the distant tramping of feet and ringing of Metal Sakura could almost believe she were visiting a courtier on pilgrimage rather than a Champion on a war footing. The fabric of the tent ripples with an almost watery sound, the scent of incense and perfume fills the air, and in the background delicate music fills the air.

The Daidoji on guard are, of course, as functional and efficient as ever. They surround Sakura in a polite yet unmistakable guard and escort her inside, to kneel on soft cushions and await her Champion’s command.

Doji Hotaru is... truth be told it takes Sakura a moment to distinguish her presence from the drifting forms of the air kami she has encountered in the past. She is speaking with one of her generals when Sakura enters, and the grace with which she moves to stand before the Kakita is almost inhuman in its fluid precision.

"Welcome, Kakita Sakura," she says, her voice as clear and calm as a mountain spring, "I would have your report."

Sakura pauses only for a moment... before she tells the whole story. Or at least, almost all- she doesn't tell of what she spoke of with the spirits on a personal level, merely the relevant facts, but she lays out the sequence of events leading her from that day months ago... to here.

She delivers her report concisely. Then, she waits for her Champion's response.

Doji Hotaru listens attentively, as do the handful of advisors and retainers waiting quietly around the perimeter of the tent.

"A most interesting story, Kakita-san," she says, and there is steel beneath the silk of her words, "Why is this the first I have heard of it?"

"My deepest apologies, Doji-no-kimi. At first, I wished to give a complete explanation to the Emerald Champion's office- or, if the post had been filled by then, the Emerald Champion himself. By the time I even suspected Shoju's plot, we had no time to send a messanger. My intention was to inform you of the full facts at the same time as I informed the Emerald Champion- but as a result, I have left you unaware, and that fault was mine."

She presses her forehead to the floor in apology.

"Your parents spoke highly of you," the Champion says quietly, "I sought them out, having received word of your blessing. Neither knew why they were suddenly of interest, but they took pains to testify on your behalf. Of your valour, your honourable conduct... your loyalty."

Sakura nods. "The very first lesson my mother taught me of Bushido, yes."

Her face is even... but her hand forms into a fist on the ground, the knuckles turning white. Hotaru knows as well as her that her mother's clan betrayed that very loyalty.

"The earliest lessons are so often the foundation of who a child will one day become," Hotaru replies, "And yet, it is a strange form of loyalty you bear, Kakita-san."

There is a pause, and in the background the lilting music of the Champion’s attendants comes to an end.

"If I ordered your seppuku, Kakita-san, would you obey?"

"If you demanded it of me, Doji-no-kimi." Sakura is very still.

There is a long pause. And then, with a soft hiss of silk, Doji Hotaru draws a _wakizashi_ from within her kimono. 

There is a faint _click_ as she sets it down.

"I do."

Sakura picks it up... and nods. "Might I have a volunteer to serve as my second?"

There is a pause, and then one of the attending samurai steps forwards. He is Daidoji, Sakura thinks, for he wears armor even here and draws his katana without a word, moving to stand over her kneeling form.

Sakura nods, and sits back in seiza. She holds the wakizashi, ready to make the first cut, and opens her mouth to speak her death poem...

"Stop." Hotaru’s voice is soft, yet firm.

Sakura stops, tilting her head. "Hai, Doji-no-kimi?"

"I rescind my command, Kakita-san," Doji Hotaru says with a sigh, and for one brief moment the fatigue and misery in her voice is more than even a Champion’s _On_ can conceal, "Your life is not mine to take. Everyone, please... leave us."

There is a pause, and then the assembled Crane bow low and depart, vanishing through the entrance to the tent in orderly procession.

Sakura nods, and takes the wakizashi reverently, holding it up for the Champion to take it back, as she waits for Hotaru to speak first. 

Partially because she knows one of the things that will be brought up.

The Champion reclaims her blade, and for a moment there is only silence.

"I feel I should ask your forgiveness, Kakita-san... or perhaps just Sakura, for unless I miss my guess you will not be ‘Kakita’ much longer," the Champion says with a resigned air, hands already moving to prepare the tea set that one of her servants left on hand before departing, "To toy with a samurai’s life and honour in such a way is... inappropriate, to say the least."

"I shall not, although it... breaks my heart to admit it, Doji-no-kimi."

Sakura kneels, her nerves calmed by the smell of the tea. "In any case, you have that forgiveness without question. My life is still yours to command as you see fit, at least until that day comes, and I _did_ err in my duty towards the Crane. And... I believe I understand your intent, as well."

"The day when you ascend the throne, and I am called to kneel before my new Empress, yes," Doji Hotaru replies, and for a brief moment there is almost a touch of humour in her words, "I cannot say I have experienced such a reversal in authority before, but this is a time for many new things, it seems."

Sakura tilts her head, the barest hint of a smile gracing her face as she recognises the touch of humour. "...indeed it is. It is certainly not where I expected my duties to lead me. But, it seems, this is where my path leads."

"And though the destination is not one I would ever have condoned before today... Rokugan needs an Empress, and you, it seems, are the one that the gods have chosen," Hotaru sighs briefly, "or at least, if this _is_ an extended Scorpion plot, it is one that stands up to all that I can bring to bear."

Sakura lets out her breath. "Of that, at least... Shoju's plan has run its course- he sought to end the Hantei, and in that he succeeded. Of others..."

She's silent for a moment.

"Oh, no doubt he planned on what would happen if he died. He always was the sort. At the least I know you are no Scorpion agent, for one of theirs would have tried _something_ to escape Seppuku so close to their goal, but..." she pauses for a moment, "Shoju is dead. And... his wife?"

Sakura nods. "...alive."

She tilts her head. There's... something more to Hotaru's hesitation, her asking specifically about Kachiko. Her ears, almost unconsciously, tune into the subtle tells of the body, trying to determine what more there is to it...

"Ah," Hotaru replies softly, and while her tone is controlled, the rest of her body is not nearly so discrete. She relaxes, then tenses again, her heartbeat spikes, there is a faint rustle of silk as she shifts position and...

She’s in love. Doji Hotaru, Champion of the Crane, is in love with Bayushi Kachiko.

Sakura's _on_ breaks, her expression one of pure shock for a moment. 

Then, she regains her composure, taking a moment before she speaks. "...she threatened to have the Scrolls opened, Doji-no-kimi. I am... truly sorry."

"...is my face truly so fragile?" The Champion of the Crane says with a rueful smile, "Still, given the circumstances... yes I suppose that she would. Benten’s curse has never blinded me to who and what she is, what she was capable of. I imagine that’s _why_ she is still alive, then?"

Sakura tilts her head, smiling in... a very similar way to the smile she cannot see. "I have long experience with such things, Doji-no-kimi- and I have other means than the face to rely on. And... yes, it is why she still remains alive, but once that is resolved..."

She doesn't state the obvious. Bayushi Kachiko cannot remain alive. Not after making a threat like that, not in the long term.

"Once it is resolved she will have found some other way to guarantee her survival," Doji Hotaru says in a grim tone, "It is what she does. But then, I know many of Rokugan’s more prominent people in a way you do not, so if you are to be Empress..."

From there, the conversation turns to what could almost be called _gossip_ , as the Champion of the Crane spends the rest of the afternoon giving the woman who will soon be her Empress a full and frank assessment of every major individual, faction and conflict zone in Rokugan.

Sakura pays close attention. Such a tutoring is _not_ to be missed.

The next day, the Crab arrive. Their haste is admirable, and quickly explained by the utter lack of an army or significant military force. The detachment coming up the road towards Otosan Uchi is, according to the scouts and the Seppun (both of whom have started reporting to Sakura at the quiet prompting of Akodo Toturi) flies the personal banner of the Crab Champion and his bodyguard.

Sakira is halfway down the corridor inside the Imperial Palace when the stone of the walls shivers and begins to speak.

" **Sakura of the Crane...** " the voice of the stone says in a deep, rumbling echo, " **I would meet the woman who imagines herself to be my new liege. Name the place and time.** "

Sakura blinks. 

She turns to the Seppun next to her. "I did not think the Crab given to theatrics. In any case, send a message to meet him..."

She thinks for a moment. "The Imperial training grounds, I think. And ask Utaku-san to come as well."

The Seppun bows, and hurries to do as commanded.

-/-

Hida Kisada makes no great show of his arrival. No heralds precede him, no musicians announce his approach, and yet when he steps onto the hallowed grounds of the Imperial Training fields there are none who can mistake the sudden weight of his attention as it falls upon them.

He is a statue in motion, the mountain itself come to life. The spirits of the earth murmur in greeting as he advances, trembling with a quiet awe that Sakura can feel through her sandals, and the retinue of hardened veterans that surrounds him might as well not exist in comparison to the sheer force of his presence and will.

"Gods, look at the size of him," Utaku Yuzuki mutters in a quiet tone, "Does this man lift horses for his morning exercise?"

Sakura lets the presence flow over her. Dressed in a simple kimono and hakama, with her swords at her side- and Amaterasu's obi all the armour she needs. She asked Yuzuki to wear armour as well- Hida Kisada is a _Crab_ , and he respects such things. She tilts her head. "Or boulders, quite possibly. Of course, there is also his own blessing, although I am not quite sure of its nature. Above all... he's a Crab. They're _all_ quite large."

She steps forwards, bowing respectfully. "I greet you, Hida-ue. I am Kakita Sakura."

"I thought you might be," the Champion of the Crab says, his voice the rumbling of a landslide... quite literally, in fact, for behind his deep-yet-human voice Sakura can actually hear the sound of breaking rocks, "a blind girl in humble robes, with hair of pale white... not many of those around here."

"Indeed not." Sakura tilts her head in acknowledgement of his point. "And the one you wished to meet. To judge me for yourself, I assume, Hida-ue?"

"To decide if you were worth more than the last fool to sit upon that throne, yes," Hida Kisada replies with blunt contempt, seemingly uncaring of the sudden rustle of tension that goes through everyone else nearby.

Sakura's focus is suddenly laser-sharp, as she lets a little bit of her power flow through her body, welcoming the now-familiar feeling of light burning on her forehead. "He was still the Emperor of Rokugan, Hida Kisada-ue- although I know that never meant much to you. But if you wish to see my _worth_... well, here is one sign of the blessing I've been given. One in some ways like your own, I think. I am not one to boast, but if you wish to hear of how I got it, you are welcome to the tale. If you wish to test my strength for yourself..."

"Oh I’m sure you’re very good with that shiny metal stick at your side," Kisada replies, a rough snort shaking the air, "but there’s more to being a leader than that, _Crane_. Tell me, have you ever led troops in war? Spoken kindly to people who hate you for the sake of grain and koku that will keep your sons from starving? Sent children off to die, knowing that the darkness will take their souls, because the alternative is oh so much worse? Have you done _anything at all_ that makes you worthy of the loyalty you would seek to claim by sitting on that throne?"

Sakura nods. "Not yet. Memories of much of what you describe, but I have not done those things myself yet- I cannot claim memories of a past life as my own deeds. But I will learn. 

She pauses for a moment. "And I will treat your Clan with the respect you _deserve_ , Hida-ue. I know all that you've done for Rokugan, and I know we do not thank you enough for it. I've faced that foulness that you face every day myself."

"You would not be the first to ply my Clan with empty words of support and backing," Kisada says, shaking his head, "Everyone is always so keen to express their respect and admiration whenever we get a little restive, but that never manages to translate into rice to feed the legions. Fortunately, there is a solution at hand."

Hida Kisada folds his broad arms across his barrel-like chest, the crack of metal plates echoing in the cold, clear air.

"Give us the Scorpion lands."

"No."

Sakura tilts her head. "I am going to tear out the traitors among the Scorpion. But the Shadowlands are not the only enemy Rokugan faces, and the Scorpion will have a role to play in opposing those. But they will face penalties- and to pay a direct cost in the upkeep of those who defend Rokugan more directly? I think that would be appropriate, Hida-ue."

"And if I should send my Legions across the border, and simply take the land required to feed my people?" Kisada asks, and there is a dangerous level of focus in his voice now.

"Then I will stand against you, Hida-san. And in that conflict, there will be no victors. Or, you could accept an Imperial decree that henceforth, the Crab are to have a _secure_ supply of rice- and Jade from the other clans, without having to divert your attention away from your duty."

"You are a fool, Kakita Sakura," Hida Kisada says with a shake of his head, "but Rokugan has survived fools on the throne before. I will wait, and we will see where this road takes us."

Without another word, the Champion of the Crab turns and walks away.

Sakura tilts her head as he walks away, turning her head towards Yuzuki. "Well, that went about as well as could be expected."

"I suppose nobody died, so..." Yuzuki says, slightly uncertain, "I wonder if he thinks that was diplomatic..."

Sakura smiles. "The Crab are... dedicated to their duty, to the degree that most of Rokugan thinks them brutes. I have the good fortune to count one as a friend, however, and they are not- but they are also _resentful_ of the other Clans- who, as the Crab see it, despise them. I did not realise those feelings ran quite so deep in Kisada, however- I will need to uphold that promise to him."

-/-

It is later that evening when Sakura _finally_ gets the opportunity to relax. Yuzuki is gone again- the Unicorn has her own duties to deal with, speaking with her own Clan. Sakura kneels in one of the Imperial palace's guest rooms, a yukata wrapped around her body, her hair loose, cascading down her back- and her blindfold removed, her sightless eyes closed as she sips her tea.

"And so a child of the sun sits on the emerald throne once more."

The voice is quiet, contemplative... and comes from directly in front of her, where a sudden disturbance of the air reveals a broad-shouldered man sitting in the lotus position, head bowed ever-so-slightly.

Sakura chokes on her tea. 

It's not at _all_ dignified, and leaves her spluttering for a few moments, before she clears her throat. Her eyes open, her face composed before she speaks. "Not yet. But yes. Might I ask who..."

She stops. Thinks for a moment. "...Togashi-no-Kami?"

"Now that is a name I haven’t heard in a long, long time," one of the Founders of Rokugan says in a mild voice, lifting his head once more, "but I suppose Jurojin never was very good at keeping secrets."

"A secret that was, perhaps, rather relevant to my situation."

Sakura isn't quite sure what to feel. On the one hand, there's awe, but on the other...

"Doji-no-Kami thought she was alone. You didn't have to reveal yourself to everyone, just her. And you left her to die of grief. I remember what Amaterasu said, that you considered each other siblings even if you weren't related by blood."

She doesn't ask the question that's left handing. Why did Togashi abandon his siblings?

"Doji _was_ alone," Togashi replies simply, "And knowing that, chose a dignified end in place of madness or the petty tyranny of a goddess unanswered in a world of mortals."

Sakura winces. "She wasn't. She had you, if she only knew it. Instead... you gave yourself over to that. Petty tyranny, as you say."

She sips her tea, thinking. "There are... many questions I could ask. Many of them would not give me much understanding in their answers. So... I suppose I shall just ask why you have come. I assume to see with your own eyes?"

"No. I have come to open yours," Togashi replies simply, "There is much you do not know, and the harm you could do to Rokugan acting in ignorance is simply too great to leave to the whims of fate."

Sakura tilts her head. "I know some- that the stars... chosen of the stars, Hanteri-no-Kami said, would be my enemy. But not enough."

"A simplistic view, but then Hantei was always prone to such things," Togashi shrugs his broad shoulders, and Sakura realises by the sound of the air that he has apparently declined to wear anything across his chest, "The ‘Chosen of the Stars’ are those mortals selected to act as agents of the Maidens of Fate, just as you have been chosen to act as the sword of the Unconquered Sun... or Lady Amaterasu, as you know them. I am among their number."

"Un...conquered Sun?"

Sakura tilts her head, frowning. A question for another day. "By the fact that you accompanied the other Kami, I assume they... or you, I suppose... are not united in opposition to those blessed by Amaterasu."

"We are united in the service of Creation and the weave of fate," Togashi says by way of correction, "At times, that demands the death of others. At times it demands their life. You may find us your allies or enemies by the worth of your own actions, past and intended."

Sakura nods. "Is that... what you wanted to tell me? That the chosen of the Stars do not _have_ to be my enemies?"

"I wanted you to understand that the world beyond these shores is far more complex than you might think," the monk says with a shake of his head, "and far more dangerous, for you and Rokugan alike."

"We can't remain isolated, can we?" Sakura tilts her head, her sightless eyes 'looking' at Togashi. "You would not come to warn me that we _must_ maintain our present course- not a Crane, for if any Clan would be most inclined to maintain our isolation it would be the Crane."

She smiles. "Or is this simply a more... general warning?"

Togashi sits in silence for a long moment.

"In the aftermath of the Battle of the White Stag, Hantei’s Children proclaimed that the borders of Rokugan must be closed," he says at last, his voice quiet, "and through that isolation, and my intervention, you escaped the terrors that wracked the rest of the world."

Another pause, and this time his voice is strange, almost distant, rendered such by the pain of long-held memory.

"We called it the Contagion, for it had no equal," he says, every word spoken with care and diligence, "and where it passed, all things died. Nations fell, armies scattered, whole species were lost to the ravages of the disease. By the time it finally burned itself out, nine in ten were dead - humans, plants, animals, _gods_."

Sakura sucks her breath in. "Is it still out in the wider world?"

Togashi-no-kami, Lord of the Dragon, Founder of Rokugan and Chosen of the Stars, looks at her in silence.

"I do not know."

And then he is gone, and only silence remains.

Sakura presses her lips together. 

There are no true answers- only more questions. 

She does not sleep well that night.

-/-

It takes time to prepare for an Imperial Coronation, and more work than Sakura would have previously believed possible, but with the peerless aid of Doji Hotaru and the lack of any hardened opposition the process rolls steadily along. _Kuge_ are invited, their consent obtained through careful meetings, while priests are brought in and repair work accelerated on the Imperial Palace and all of Otosan Uchi. 

The Miya spread the word, the Seppun step up their patrols, the Otomo busy themselves with a thousand and one vitally necessary tasks and bit by bit Sakura slowly feels all life and sanity ground out of her by a weight of duty and expectation heavier than any mountain.

Until, at last, it all culminates in the eve before the day itself, with Sakura in her assigned guest room and all servants and guards banished for one final night of privacy and solitude.

Sakura collapses onto her futon, wearing a simple yukata. She doesn't admit it to anyone, but... she's very much quite worn out. 

She had best get used to this, however- it's not going to get any easier. Idly, she runs a hand through her hair- she stopped dying it a week ago, although the white hasn't begun to fade yet, she's been told.

"You look half-dead," Yuzuki’s voice comes from the corner of the room, filled with teasing fondness and genuine concern alike. Her sudden appearance is no surprise, for she has been testing her moon-given abilities extensively over the past weeks and such supernatural stealth is, apparently, among them.

"Mmmmmrgh. My body's still fine, but mentally... I've had little time to actually _stop_ , especially after Togashi appeared in the middle of one of the first times I had to take tea- after that, I kept wondering if he'd show up again unexpectedly. I'll be honest, Yuzuki, I'm worn out, and in the immediate wake of the coronation things are unlikely to get any easier."

Sakura rolls over onto her back, her eyes turned towards Yuzuki, a weary expression on her face.

"Hm. Yes, that _does_ sound exhausting," Yuzuki says thoughtfully, pacing closer across the room, and there’s an edge to her voice that wasn’t there before, "and if I know you... you’re going to lie here awake all night worrying about it, aren’t you?"

Sakura sits up, her head tilted slightly. "...probably, yes. It sounds like you've got something in mind, though..."

She smiles a little- after all, she's well-used to such... breathers. Although... right now, she's not sure even those will work properly- there's simply too much nervous energy to work off.

"I have a thought or two," Yuzuki says in a low murmur, stepping in close and kneeling by Sakura's side. She leans in, lips brushing against Sakura's in a brief kiss, and says "Do you remember what we talked about, back in the Mori Isawa?"

Sakura blushes. "I... do, yes..."

Well, they'd talked about _several_ things in the Mori Isawa- and done several things as well, both enjoying their own newfound powers a bit too much in retrospect. Sakura doesn't _quite_ remember what exactly Yuzuki's talking about... but as she considers her lover, she starts to get an idea.

"Oh, good," Yuzuki growls, rising to her feet once more. She looks down at Sakura , and her voice takes on a commanding edge. " _Strip_."


End file.
